Sentence increased after Court of Appeal hearing

A man further jailed for the manslaughter of a fellow inmate has had his sentence increased.

Abdi Rehman Esa, 21, was sentenced to a further two years and seven months, with a further 10 months on extended license, at Stafford Crown Court in April for the manslaughter of John Smith at HMPYOI Brinsford in December 2020.

The sentence was formally challenged and referred to the Attorney General.

After a hearing today (Friday 25 June), Esa’s original sentence was quashed and has been increased to six years in prison, with a further four years on extended license.

Police were called just after 8am on 6 December 2020 by a member of staff at HMPYOI Brinsford to reports a prisoner had been assaulted by another inmate the previous afternoon, suffering a serious head injury. The victim, John Smith, was taken to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton and then to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham but sadly died on 6 December 2020.

The police investigation established that Esa had punched John once which resulted in John sustaining catastrophic injuries.

Detective Chief Inspector Alan Lyford, the senior investigating officer, said:

“This brings to an end proceeding in an extremely emotive and difficult investigation.

“Three Honourable Justices at the Court of Appeal reviewed the original sentence handed down to Abdi Esa following a referral from the Attorney General after concerns it was unduly lenient.

“My thoughts remain with John’s family and while no sentence can ever bring John back, I hope the conclusion of proceedings will at least allow them to attempt to move forward with their lives.”