9:42am Saturday 10th May 2008
THE brother of a popular Sedgley man brutally murdered by two illegal immigrants in their campaign of street robberies has given his blessing to the life sentence passed on the men by a Judge.
Forty-one-year-old Chris Owen. "We have had a good result. It is not going to bring my brother back but we have had justice."
The Honourable Mr Justice Goldring ruled killers Gabriel Bhengu and Jabu Mbowane will have to stay behind bars for a minimum of 30 years before they can be considered for parole.
Bhengu, aged 27, and 26-year-old Mbowane were found guilty on a unanimous verdict by a jury of murdering 42-year-old father-of-five Andrew Owen who died in April last year.
Mr Owen who was known to wear heavy gold jewellery was killed as he walked across Coronation Gardens in Sedgley after a night out drinking in the pub with friends.
The killers stole property including his mobile telephone and his necklace, bracelet and ring, but they missed the £950 Mr Owen had stuffed in a pocket.
Mr Owen who lived with his fiance Emma Conningdale in Viewfield Crescent, Sedgley, was killed just 11 days after Bhengu and Mbowane murdered 41-year-old Neil Williams in Telford.
Mr Williams had also been out drinking with friends and he too was on his way home when the robbers pounced and Bhengu got him in a necklock while Mbowane searched his pockets.
Chris Owen, who lives in Bilston, labelled the killers "animals" and added: "I certainly feel the immigration authorities should have done a lot more with these two men.
"If they had been deported, as they should have been, this would not have happened. My brother would still be alive and so would Mr Williams."
Bhengu and Mbowane, who entered the country on two year visas and then overstayed their welcome, throttled both their murder victims to death.
They embarked on a campaign of robberies in the Dudley, Wolverhampton and Telford areas targeting vulnerable victims - four of whom were women who feared they were going to die.
The South African nationals who were working with 22-year-old Kashia Allen - the girlfriend of Bhengu - were finally arrested by police after they were caught on CCTV in a pawnbrokers shop trying to sell Mr Owen's jewellery.
Bhengu and Mbowane, both of Court Road, Wolverhampton, were convicted by a jury at the end of their five-week trial of murdering both Mr Owen and Mr Williams.
Allen, of Crosby Close, Wolverhampton, was cleared of the murder - but found guilty of the manslaughter of Mr Owen and she was remanded in custody for pre-sentence reports.
Bhengu and Allen were further convicted on five robbery charges while Mbowane was convicted of four robberies.
The Judge said the two men would be deported when they had completed their sentences and he described them as a "determined team of robbers."
He said they had targeted their vulnerable victims and it was clear they had pounced on Mr Owen and Mr Williams because they had both been out drinking.
Chris Owen afterwards said he and his brother had been inseparable as young men and Andrew was a hard working man who loved horses.
He said: "Andy was a loyal, supportive brother and the past 12 months have been difficult for the family.
"We are just glad the trial is now over and these men have been put where they belong - behind bars for a long time."
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