Emmanuel Avogo, now 17, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years for the murder of 26-year-old accountant Adam Khan in Luton. Avogo, who was 16 at the time, lured Khan to a meeting on Humberstone Road on August 31 last year, where he attacked him with a machete.
The court heard that Avogo and a 16-year-old girl, who cannot be named, planned to ambush Khan. The girl had been exchanging messages with Khan, who had offered her cannabis in exchange for sexual favours. When Khan arrived, Avogo chased him and stabbed him five times with a machete he had concealed down his trousers. Khan died later that evening in hospital.
Sentencing and Anonymity
Mr Justice Bennathan sentenced Avogo to life with a minimum of 20 years after he was convicted of murder. The judge lifted Avogo's anonymity as a youth defendant, citing the seriousness of the crime and public concern over knife crime. The girl was sentenced to a two-year detention and training order for manslaughter.
The judge noted that Avogo “frequently carried a knife or machete” and had a history of violent incidents, including a previous machete robbery. He said Avogo remains “in denial” about the murder, making reform “a very distant prospect”.
Victim Impact
Khan’s sister described the killers as “pure evil” and said, “May they rot in hell.” She revealed that Khan was due to take his final accountancy exam the day after his murder and had secured a job at a top financial firm. “He had so much to look forward to, but that was brutally snatched from him,” she said.
Khan’s mother called her son “bright, strong, resilient and caring” and said he started working at 15 after his father’s death to support the family. She added, “I hope they meet a fate far worse than what they inflicted on my son.”
Details of the Attack
Prosecutor Kate Bex KC said the attack was an “ambush”. CCTV showed Khan approaching a car to speak with the girl, then retreating when Avogo appeared. Khan stopped his car, grabbed a tyre wrench, and confronted Avogo, who stabbed him five times in the face, stomach, and arm.
After the stabbing, the girl searched online for “Luton stabbing” and researched how to delete an Instagram account. Both defendants waved to their families as they were led from the dock.
Avogo’s History of Violence
The court heard that Avogo had a string of knife-related incidents. Four months before the murder, he was spared jail after stabbing a man with a machete during an e-bike robbery. In 2023, he received police cautions for assaulting a fellow pupil and attacking two school pupils. In January 2024, he assaulted a police officer, and in August 2024, he was caught with a lock knife.
Avogo claimed he suffered from PTSD after being hit over the head with a hammer in October 2023, which required brain surgery. However, the judge noted that Avogo continues to plead innocence, insisting he did not intend to cause serious harm.
