Four individuals have been sentenced for their roles in helping two brothers evade justice after a brutal cocaine-related robbery and murder in Gosport. Joanne West, Sarah Flynn, Liam Savage, and Mark Phillips faced justice today for their part in assisting Tommy West, 18, and his half-brother Aiden West, 25, after they murdered Levi Kent on November 24, 2023.
The West brothers were convicted of the savage killing that took place after Levi was lured to shops behind Nobes Avenue at around 2 AM. Tommy West stabbed the victim multiple times in his Vauxhall Corsa before Levi attempted to flee, crashing his car into a wall. He was chased down and fatally attacked again on Keyes Road, succumbing to a stab wound to the heart and six blunt-force injuries.
On Tuesday, Tommy West was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 21 years, while Aiden West was sentenced to 28 years. Aiden was found guilty of Levi’s murder in August after a trial, while Tommy had earlier admitted to murder, robbery, and possession of a blade.
Today, their mother, Joanne West, 45, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for two counts of assisting an offender. Sarah Flynn, 36, of James Close, Liam Savage, 38, of Trinity Green, and Mark Phillips, 56, of Gilbert Close, all admitted to assisting the brothers after the murder. Flynn and Savage were each sentenced to 12 months, while Phillips received a six-month suspended sentence for perverting the course of justice.
After the murder, the West brothers returned to an address on James Close, where they changed clothes. Flynn disposed of some of Tommy West’s clothing in a bin, while Joanne West arranged for a taxi to take her sons to Savage’s residence, where they were reportedly laughing and joking during the journey.
Joanne West was arrested on November 26, accused of orchestrating their escape. Phillips, who was present at her arrest, gave a false statement to police about the taxi booking she had arranged for her sons.
Additionally, the brothers’ father, Peter West, was sentenced to two years on Tuesday for assisting an offender. Another accomplice, Michael Figgins, 64, of St Ann’s Crescent, will be sentenced at a later date for his role in helping Tommy West discard evidence after the murder.
The sentences mark the culmination of an extensive investigation into the events surrounding the killing of Levi Kent, ensuring that not only the brothers but those who aided them in evading capture have been brought to justice.
