Two men who fatally stabbed a Croydon man have had their sentences increased after the Court of Appeal found their original sentences to be unduly lenient.
On 15 December 2019, Donald Owusu, now 25, and Harvey Macfoy, now 26, used a tracker device to locate 33-year-old Albert Amofa as they believed he was carrying cannabis in his vehicle. The victim was located outside his home in his vehicle and stabbed five times to the upper leg hitting his femoral artery. Owusu and Macfoy fled the scene empty handed. Mr Amofa died from his injuries two days later.
On 7 July 2022 at Central Criminal Court, Donald Owusu was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder with a minimum term of 25 years. Harvey Macfoy was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder with a minimum term of 21 years. Macfoy received an additional 20-month sentence to run concurrently for intending to pervert the course of justice.
The original sentences were referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme because they appeared too low.
On 6 October, the Court of Appeal found Owusu and Macfoy’s sentences to be unduly lenient and increased Owusu’s minimum sentence to 27 years’ imprisonment and Macfoy’s to 23 years’ imprisonment.
Speaking after the hearing, HM Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson MP said:
The senseless and vicious murder of Albert Amofa has caused immeasurable pain and suffering to his family, and my thoughts are with them today.
I welcome the Court’s decision to increase both sentences today as I believe they better reflect the intent behind this awful attack.