Two teenagers, Balakrishnan and Suleiman, have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Rishmeet Singh, a 16-year-old boy. The attack, which lasted only 27 seconds, saw Rishmeet being stabbed 15 times by the two attackers, who then fled the scene, leaving his body on the ground. Rishmeet had come to the UK with his mother and grandmother after the Taliban killed his father and attempted to kidnap him. He was attending college and hoped to become a police officer.
Balakrishnan was sentenced to a minimum of 24 years, while Suleiman was sentenced to serve 21 years. Both had their jail time reduced for the time they have already spent in custody. In addition to the murder charge, Balakrishnan was also sentenced for a charge of grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to an attack on an inmate while on remand. The attack had left the victim with severe brain damage.
The two attackers had been forced into Class A drug dealing after racking up debts to gang leaders. On the night of the murder, they took two blades, a “terrifying” three-foot long machete and a Rambo knife bought online days before, and travelled on bikes to a rival gang’s territory. They wore Covid masks and put their hoods up to hide their identities. Mistaking Rishmeet and his friends as members of the rival gang, they chased them through a park and “ferociously attacked” Rishmeet after he tripped and fell.
The judge described Rishmeet as “an entirely innocent victim” and a good person who would not harm a fly. His mother, Gulinder, said she feels she has lost everything and her life is over. She described Rishmeet as a faithful and caring person, and stated that justice is finally served for him, but their sentence will never be enough for her. The judge also set out the brutal details of Balakrishnan and Suleiman’s actions before and after the murder.
To ensure the story is optimized for SEO, the headline could be: “Teenagers Sentenced to Life for Brutal Murder of Innocent Boy: Balakrishnan and Suleiman Jailed for Minimum of 21 Years.” The major keyword “teenagers sentenced to life” could be incorporated throughout the story. Relevant story tags for WordPress use could include “teenagers sentenced to life,” “murder,” “crime,” “London,” and “gang violence.”
To make the story engaging, I could highlight Rishmeet’s aspirations and the impact his death had on his family and friends. Additionally, I could emphasize the senselessness of the attack and the justice that has been served. Overall, the rewritten story should be respectful and appropriate for the intended audience, while still conveying the necessary information.
