Court Sentences 36-Year-Old Nigerian Man, Fawaz Abdulkareem To Life Imprisonment Over Friend’s Murder In The UK

 

Fawaz Abdulkareem (left) and late Daniel Manuel

The United Kingdom court has sentenced a 36-year-old Nigerian man, Fawaz Abdulkareem, popularly known as Larry Hoover, to life imprisonment for the murder of his friend, Daniel Manuel.

The convict is to serve a minimum of 17 years in prison following a unanimous conviction for murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place at the Croydon Crown Court.

The incident occurred at Abdulkareem’s apartment on Bondway, Southwark, following a heated argument over an unpaid debt.

The Metropolitan Police disclosed that the victim, 32-year-old Daniel Manuel, was discovered with three severe stab wounds in the communal lobby of the building. Despite emergency first aid from police officers and paramedics who arrived within six minutes of a distress call, Manuel died at the scene.

Investigations showed that the two men had spent the evening at a nightclub before returning to Abdulkareem’s flat with a group of friends in the early hours of the morning. An argument suddenly broke out over money, prompting Abdulkareem to stab Manuel three times with a kitchen knife.

Following the attack, the convict hid the bloody knife in the waistband of his trousers, took off his T-shirt to wrap around the weapon, and went downstairs to report the injuries to the front desk staff.

Upon realising that emergency services were on their way, Abdulkareem rushed back to his flat and threw the murder weapon out of his 14th-floor window to destroy evidence. 

Detectives, however, saw through his cover-up and rubbished his claims of self-defence during the trial. A responding officer had noticed Manuel’s blood stains on the convict’s clothing, leading to his immediate arrest at the scene before detectives recovered the discarded blade.

Reacting to the judgment, the victim’s grieving wife, Zulal, stated that the sudden loss has completely shattered her world.

“Daniel was not just my husband, he was my partner, my home, my emotional safety and the person I built my entire life around,” Zulal said. “Losing him in such a violent and sudden way has completely shattered my world. This loss has affected every part of my life, emotionally, physically, and financially, and I am still trying to survive the aftermath of it.”