Man jailed for life for murder and attempted murder
A man has been jailed for life for the murder of 19-year-old Eddie King Muthemba Kinuthia in Bristol in 2023.
Zacharia Talbert Young, 27, formerly of Easton, was convicted by a jury of murdering Eddie in Grosvenor Road Triangle Park in St Paul’s on 21 July 2023.
Talbert Young was also found guilty, along with Paul Elijah Hayden, 22, formerly of Hanham, of attempting to murder a second man in Easton six months later, on 2 February 2024.
Both Eddie and the second man, Nathan Williams, also just 19 years old, suffered multiple stab wounds in violent and planned attacks.
Sentencing, The Honourable Mr Justice Pepperall said that while Talbert Young was “not a knifeman in respect of either offence … I should make plain that that makes no real difference. You were an integral member of the two-man team that murdered Eddie Kinuthia and the slightly larger team that attempted to murder Nathan Williams”.
He said Hayden was responsible for inflicting “appalling” injuries on Nathan.
He described Eddie’s murder as “savage” and the stabbing of Nathan as “horrific”.
He said the fatal injury to Eddie was “virtually unsurvivable” and that he was stabbed multiple times “mercilessly and with significant force”.
Nathan was also stabbed multiple times with such force that it fractured two ribs and his shoulder blade and damaged his liver and one of his kidneys.
The Hon Mr Justice Pepperall described a wound to Nathan’s chest as “potentially fatal” and commended the three men who came to his aid as he lay on Easton Way after the attack for their part in saving his life with their “quick thinking actions” and “bravery”.
The court heard powerful and emotional impact statements from Eddie’s mother Irene Muthemba and Nathan’s sister.
The court heard that while Nathan has recovered well physically, he remains “anxious, stressed and in survival mode all of the time”.
In her statement his sister said: “The one thing that I will take away from this is that we are responsible for these children. I call them children because they are so clearly young … They take action with no thought of the consequences, no foresight of what they do to their own family, those of their victims and their community …
“You are not above the law and I hope you feel the full force of it for the rest of your lives. How dare you think you can take the life of someone’s child. How dare you think that you have the power to live in our community and kill our children. You are so lost.”
Read Irene Muthemba’s impact statement in full.
The Hon Mr Justice Pepperall passed sentence after also hearing mitigation from the counsel for the defence around their lack of maturity and the impact on their families and reading character references.
He stressed that both men will serve “every single day” of the minimum term he imposed, adding that even after serving that time they will only be released from prison when the Parole Board decides it’s no longer necessary for public protection.
Zachariah Talbert Young was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years and 136 days for Eddie’s murder, and handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years for the attempted murder of Nathan. Both will run concurrently.
Paul Elijah Hayden was also jailed for life for the attempted murder of Nathan, and will serve a minimum term of 17 years and 136 days.
Speaking outside court, Irene Muthemba thanked all those involved in bringing the case to court and said she was happy “justice has been done”.
She said: “It’s enough bloodshed on the streets of Bristol. And we, as adults, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to show these young children carrying knives that it costs so much … Nothing is worth a life.”
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Almond, who led the investigative team, said: “I want to pay tribute to the patience and dignity shown by both families throughout this lengthy and harrowing process. Their strength has been remarkable, and our thoughts remain firmly with Irene and her family for their devastating loss and Nathan as he continues to recover from his injuries.
“I also wish to pay tribute to the support shown to the inquiry by local residents within the St Paul’s community. This support has been invaluable and shows that incidents such as these will not be tolerated. These convictions mean that two dangerous men will now remain behind bars, and our streets are safer as a result.
“Knife crime destroys lives. It devastates families, fuels fear, and tears at the fabric of our communities. Avon and Somerset Police will continue to work tirelessly with partners to tackle this issue, prevent further tragedies, and keep people safe.”