Jackson Uwagboe Murder Sentence: Teen jailed for life at Old Bailey after fatal Deptford stabbing and flight to Nigeria
Jackson Uwagboe, 19, of Hamilton Street, Lewisham, has been sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey after being found guilty of the murder of 21-year-old Robert Robinson in Deptford.
Also read: US jails Nigerian man in $8.1m tax fraud scheme
The conviction follows an extensive investigation by the Metropolitan Police, which pieced together CCTV footage, phone records, bank details and DNA evidence to secure justice for the victim’s family.
A judge ruled on Wednesday that Jackson Uwagboe must serve a minimum of 21 years before becoming eligible for parole. He was also convicted of robbery and possession of a bladed article.
According to police, the violence began on 6 June 2024 after officers were called to reports of a stabbing in Carteret Way, Deptford. Despite the efforts of emergency services, Robert Robinson died at the scene.
The court heard that the dispute stemmed from the theft of a bicycle and mobile phone from a 17-year-old boy on Deptford High Street.
Later that day, Uwagboe and associates Ryan Wedderburn, 18, and Kirk Harris, 19, confronted Robert Robinson and others. The trio were armed with machetes. Robert Robinson was chased and fatally attacked.
Ryan Wedderburn and Kirk Harris were convicted of murder at the Old Bailey in May last year and received life sentences, with minimum terms of 23 years and 22 years and nine months respectively.
Following the killing, Jackson Uwagboe fled to Nigeria. Detectives later established that 24-year-old Eromosele Omoluogbe had purchased a plane ticket to Lagos and driven him to Heathrow Airport.
Omoluogbe was subsequently convicted of perverting the course of justice and will be sentenced at a later date.
Jackson Uwagboe returned to the UK on 25 February 2025 and was arrested at Gatwick Airport on suspicion of murder.
Investigators reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and analysed multiple phone and financial records to reconstruct the events surrounding the attack.
Detective Inspector Neil Tovey, who led the investigation, described the assault as brutal and sustained, adding that the verdict demonstrates the force’s determination to pursue offenders wherever they attempt to hide.
Also read: Nigerian Emeka Uzor killed in South Africa, NUSA demands justice
Police said the case underscores ongoing concerns about knife crime in London, even as overall homicide levels decline.
