Two teenagers have been handed life sentences for the murder of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who tragically lost his life in a shocking case of mistaken identity. The incident took place on June 29, 2022, just yards away from Ronan’s family home in Wolverhampton.
On that fateful day, Ronan had walked a short distance to a friend’s house with the intention of purchasing a PlayStation controller. Little did he know that he would never return home. Unbeknownst to Ronan, he was targeted and brutally stabbed from behind in a callous act of mistaken identity.
Ronan had recently completed his GCSEs and was eagerly looking forward to the summer holidays and starting sixth form in September. Described as bright and popular, Ronan had spent his day enjoying a game of snooker with a friend.
Around 20.00 he left his home to collect the gaming controller and was walking while listening to music on his headphones. Earlier that day, one of the perpetrators, 16-year-old Prabjeet Veadhesa, had acquired a Ninja sword set and a large machete from a local post office that he had purchased online. Veadhesa had developed a dislike for one of Ronan’s friends and this animosity had led to a previous altercation between the two.
Later that day, Veadhesa conspired with three others to confront Ronan’s friend, who owed him money. However, the weapons they carried indicated their intention for violence. The group, consisting of Veadhesa, 16-year-old Sukhman Shergill, 20-year-old Josiah Francis (the driver), and 18-year-old Joseph Whittaker (the front-seat passenger), drove to Lanesfield in a red Corsa.
As Ronan neared his home, the car entered Mount Road. Veadhesa and Shergill swiftly exited the vehicle and chased after Ronan. Veadhesa caught up to him and stabbed him twice. Ronan, caught off guard, had no chance to defend himself. He stumbled and called for help before collapsing on the road. Tragically, Ronan’s injuries were too severe, and he died at the scene.
An immediate investigation was launched, and with the help of meticulous CCTV analysis, arrests were made within days. While Veadhesa was the one who inflicted the fatal blows, Shergill was found to have participated in the joint enterprise of Ronan’s murder. After a five-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, the jury took just over two hours to convict the pair, who were both 17 at the time, of murder. Francis and Whittaker were acquitted of all charges.
Today, July 13, Prabjeet Veadhesa, residing in Cairn Drive in Walsall, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 18 years. His accomplice, Sukhman Shergill, from Bewley Road in Willenhall, received a life sentence with a minimum of 16 years. The sentencing brings little solace to the grieving family of Ronan, who have been left devastated by his untimely death.
In a heartbreaking statement read in court, Ronan’s mother, Pooja, expressed her pain, saying, “On June 29, 2022, my innocent son was murdered. I remember kissing his cheek and telling him how handsome he looked, waving goodbye as his father dropped him off at the snooker club – I replay this in my mind every day. That was the last time I saw my son alive.” Ronan’s father, Chander, described his son as not just a child but his entire world, his friend, and the soul of their family.
