Two men guilty of murder after fatal park stabbing

Two men have been found guilty of murdering a 30-year-old in a stabbing in a park last summer.

A jury found Daniel Larman and Kieran Okocha-Sleight guilty of the murder of Tommy Boom in Miller's Meadow in Northampton on 18 July 2024.

Larman, 21, of no fixed abode, and Okocha-Sleight, 20, of no fixed abode, were convicted following a two-week trial at Northampton Crown Court and will be sentenced at a later date.

Det Ch Insp Johnny Campbell, of Northamptonshire Police, said: "During this trial, both defendants tried in vain to taint Tommy's reputation, painting him as the aggressor. This was just not the case. Regardless of the life Tommy led, he did not deserve to be killed in such a brutal way."

The court heard the men had arranged to meet a woman in Miller's Meadow, just after 00:00 (BST) to sell her drugs.

When they arrived, Larman stood in front of the woman while Okocha-Sleight sat beside her on a bench.

Moments later, Mr Boom and another man approached and questioned their presence in the park.

Larman then pulled out a large hunting knife from his waistband and when Mr Boom told him to put it down, Larman lunged at him, stabbing him twice.

Emergency services were called, but Mr Boom died at the scene.

After the attack, Larman and Okocha-Sleight filmed the bloodied murder weapon, adding a caption that read, "just had to juice a guy up," and sent it to an associate.

They also shared a second video of a blood-stained trainer, accompanied by three laughing emojis.

Larman later filmed himself walking past the crime scene before fleeing by train to Birmingham.

He later admitted to disposing of his bloodstained clothing and the weapon in a canal.

The next day, with assistance from West Midlands Police, both men were arrested at an address in Birmingham and subsequently charged with murder.

During police interviews, Larman refused to comment, but claimed in court he had acted in self-defence, believing Mr Boom was "setting a trap".

However, the jury rejected his argument, concluding both men were guilty of murder.

Det Ch Insp Campbell added: "Although today's guilty verdict may bring some comfort to Tommy's family and friends, I am sure this will not feel like a win and instead of celebrating the verdict, they would rather have their much-loved son and brother still alive."

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