Kajetan Migdal: Prom night killer Patrick Sharp-Meade jailed for life for zombie knife murder

The killer of a talented 18-year-old who had appeared on BBC TV’s Greatest Dancer has been jailed for life for his murder.

Patrick Sharp-Meade, 20, was told he would serve a minimum of 28 years behind bars for plunging a zombie-style knife into the chest of Kajetan Migdal.

Kajetan, a Year 13 student from John Henry Newman Catholic school in Stevenage, had been out with three friends after his school prom.

Sharp-Meade, then 18, mistakenly believed the group had spoken to his ex-girlfriend. He pulled a large zombie knife from his trousers and plunged it into Mr Migdal's chest, the court heard.

He was rushed to hospital, where he died in the early hours of the next morning, Luton Crown Court was told.

Sharp-Meade of Cuttys Lane, Stevenage, had denied murder, but the jury of six men and six women found him guilty, rejecting the defence case he was guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Judge John Hillen, sentencing, said: “Kajetan Migdal was 18 years old when you killed him. He was a remarkable young man.

"He was larger than life; talkative, happy, a talented dancer who had appeared on national television, a bright student about to undergo a gap year before going to university.

"Everything pointed to a great future for Kajetan. He was someone who loved and was loved.

“It is a testament to Kajetan that nearly 1,000 people attended his funeral mass, and he was remembered in churches in Poland, all over Europe and in the wider world.

"He has had awards and a studio named after him, there have been and will be dance performances in his memory, a tree was planted to commemorate him.”

He told Sharp-Meade: “This is the person you murdered, depriving him of his life and depriving his family, his friends, and the world of his promise.

"The knife you picked up was not a normal knife, it was a knife to kill and maim. You are manipulative and have been described as cunning.”

Det Insp Justine Jenkins of Hertfordshire Police said: “There is nothing that can bring Kajetan back and while this sentence is significant it cannot repair the damage caused to many other lives.

"I hope it gives his family and loved ones an opportunity to adjust to their new reality knowing justice has now been served but I suspect not given the life-long sentence they face without Kajetan."

• Police released this footage of Sharp-Meade's arrest

'The vacuum left behind is enormous'

In a victim impact statement to the court, Gemma Migdal, Mr Migdal's mother, described her son.

“Kajetan was larger than life," she said. "He was always smiling, always talking, always making plans. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he was sensitive to the needs of others. He listened to what people said, and he cared enough to remember, making his gifts at birthdays and Christmas extra special.“He knew how to love and care for people, and his emotional maturity was way beyond his young years. After his death we lost count of the number of young people who barely knew Kajetan but who approached us wanting to share with us how grateful they were that he reached out to them when they were feeling marginalised, vulnerable and lonely.

She added: “We will never get to know what things he would have gone on to achieve in life, but everything pointed to the fact that they would have been great, including the results of the A levels he sat before his death.

"It is heartbreaking that he worried so much about succeeding in these without ever getting to know how well he had done. He was looking forward to a gap year and working for an animal charity before further study. Testament again to his philanthropic nature - his compassion for people and animals alike.“Our home is now empty, quiet. The vacuum that has been left behind is enormous. It engulfs us all, all of the time. Yet, this is our home, and it is where we come together at the end of each exhausting, difficult day to be together and to try to process our emotions, so that we can start again on the relentless emotional treadmill the next day.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know