A Nigerian national, Chukwuemeka Ahanonu, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a 56-year-old woman, Nila Patel, in Leicester, United Kingdom.
Ahanonu, 24, was found guilty by a jury at Leicester Crown Court on Monday and sentenced on Tuesday for the attack, which occurred on June 24, 2025, along Infirmary Road.
According to Leicestershire Police, the incident followed a series of dangerous driving actions by Ahanonu, who was under the influence of cannabis. He was reported to have swerved across lanes, run red lights, and driven towards pedestrians before crashing his vehicle in the city centre.
After the crash, he fled the scene and attacked Patel, who had just alighted from a bus and was walking home. She sustained severe injuries, including a fractured skull and brain trauma, and died two days later.
Police said that upon his arrest, officers found he had been smoking cannabis, with dealer bags worth over £3,000 and three iPhones recovered from his car. Also, he had earlier pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, and assaulting an emergency worker after biting a female police officer.
Security personnel from the nearby Leicester Royal Infirmary restrained Ahanonu until officers arrived, while medical staff attempted to save the victim. He was later re-arrested on suspicion of murder on June 26, 2025.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Emma Matts, described the incident as “a horrific, violent and random attack” on an innocent woman, noting that the suspect was unknown to the victim. She also commended members of the public for intervening and assisting both the victim and police.
