Eight people found guilty following the murder of Levi Kent in Gosport
Eight people have been found guilty following the murder of Levi Kent in Gosport last year.
Police were called to Keyes Road in Bridgemary at 2.32am on Friday 24 November 2023 where the 22-year-old had been assaulted by half-brothers Tommy and Aiden West.
Levi's injuries included six stab wounds inflicted by Tommy. He died from his injuries.
The following eight people were charged with offences by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Major Crime team:
Tommy West, aged 18 of Fisgard Road in Gosport, charged with murder, robbery and possession of a bladed article.
Aiden West, aged 25, of Tudor Close in Gosport, charged with murder, robbery and possession of a bladed article.
Sarah Flynn, aged 36, of James Close in Gosport, charged with assisting an offender.
Joanne West, aged 45, of no fixed abode, charged with two counts of assisting an offender.
Peter West, aged 43, of Wimpson Lane in Southampton, charged with two counts of assisting an offender.
Liam Savage, aged 38, of Trinity Green in Gosport, charged with two counts of assisting an offender.
Mark Phillips, aged 56, of Gilbert Close in Gosport, charged with perverting the course of justice.
Michael Figgins, aged 64, of St Ann’s Crescent in Gosport, charged with two counts of assisting an offender.
Tommy West, Sarah Flynn, Liam Savage, Mark Phillips and Joanne West all pleaded guilty to the offences they were charged with. Aiden West pleaded guilty to robbery, but denied murder and possession of a bladed article.
Peter West and Michael Figgins pleaded not guilty, and they went to trial at Portsmouth Crown Court on Tuesday 25 June this year, alongside Aiden West who was tried for murder.
During the trial, the court heard that on the evening of 23 November 2023, Aiden and Tommy West travelled to an address in James Close in a taxi paid for by Michael Figgins.
In the early hours of the next day, Tommy contacted Levi to arrange a drug deal. Tommy and Aiden both planned to rob Levi and take his drugs.
The brothers then left the address armed with knives, but the deal did not go ahead. A second deal was arranged, with Tommy and Aiden meeting Levi in Keyes Road where Tommy entered Levi’s car and stabbed him.
The attack caused Levi to accelerate the car which crashed into a wall on the opposite side of the road.
Levi left the vehicle and ran, followed by the West brothers.
The prosecution case was that Tommy stabbed Levi several times – including in the chest which caused the fatal injury, and the right thigh – while Aiden kicked him in the head and searched his pockets.
The knife used in the attack was then thrown onto the roof of the nearby medical centre, before the pair returned to James Close where they changed their clothes.
During this time, Sarah Flynn put some of Tommy’s clothing in the bin.
The court heard that afterwards Tommy and Aiden’s mother, Joanne West, paid for them to take a taxi to Liam Savage’s address in Trinity Green, and that the pair were laughing and joking during the journey.
Later that morning, the attackers were picked up by Tommy’s dad Peter West and another man – Michael Figgins – and driven to various locations - enabling Tommy to discard some clothing at a friend’s address in the process.
Peter then drove Tommy to a police station at 5pm that evening so he could hand himself in. Aiden was arrested the next day.
Flynn was arrested on the evening of 24 November for concealing Tommy’s clothes. Joanne West was arrested on 26 November for arranging for her sons to evade capture. Mark Phillips was present during her arrest and proceeded to provide a false statement to police regarding the taxi booking she made for her sons.
Savage, Figgins and Peter West were all arrested for the parts they played in allowing the West brothers to evade capture and dispose of evidence.
At Portsmouth Crown Court, Aiden West was found guilty of murder and not guilty of possession of a bladed article.
Peter West and Michael Figgins were both found guilty of assisting an offender (namely Tommy West) and not guilty of assisting Aiden West. Aiden West was remanded at court.
All eight people will be sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court in October.
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Detective Chief Inspector Matt Gillooly, Senior Investigating Officer, said: “This is a tragic example of the irreversible pain that is caused by those who carry knives.
"Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Levi Kent.
“Levi was viciously set upon by Aiden and Tommy West, both of whom will now be facing a considerable length of time in prison for their crime.
"Both brothers planned this attack together, and had no reservations around carrying weapons and subjecting Levi to a horrific and violent death.
“In the wake of the murder, both attackers were aided by a group of allies made up of family members and friends who sought to help the brothers evade capture, destroy evidence and seek refuge.
“All of these individuals willingly participated in this crime and have rightly been convicted for the parts they played.
“I want this to be a warning to those who seek to aid others who have committed serious crime - you are not immune from prosecution, and we will make every effort to bring to justice those whose actions contribute to the immeasurable suffering caused by serious violence.”
Chief Inspector Chris Spellerberg, District Commander for Fareham and Gosport, added: “Your local neighbourhood policing teams in Gosport are proactively tackling serious violence, knife crime and drug-related violence as an absolute priority, with regular enforcement such as drugs warrants at addresses linked to supply, utilising stop and search powers and conducting vehicle checks.
"Your teams also conduct knife arch operations to remove weapons from the streets, and routinely engage with young people at schools and colleges to warn them of the risks of carrying a knife.
“But police enforcement alone isn’t the answer. We urge our communities to keep reporting information to us about knife crime, drugs supply and people carrying weapons in your neighbourhood so we can continue to focus our efforts on disrupting those responsible, and protecting the public.
“We’re working closely with our local authority partners, our colleagues in education and health and the Violence Reduction Partnership to identify the root causes and divert young people away from criminality.
“We also need parents to talk to their children about knife crime – to make sure that they understand the terrible consequences carrying a knife can have and also how to report if they have concerns about someone they know carrying a knife.
“Levi’s death was senseless and we all owe it to all our young people in our communities to do the right thing so no one else is a victim of knife crime. We must come together as a community to tackle it.”