A 22-YEAR-OLD man found guilty of murdering Basingstoke teenager Jolene Colpus has been jailed for life.

As previously reported on this website earlier this week, Kieron Simei was told that he would spend a minimum of 17 years in prison before he is considered for parole.

Simei appeared for sentence at Winchester Crown Court on Monday - three days after a jury convicted him of the murder of 19-year-old Miss Colpus.

Simei stabbed the teenager in the communal doorway to her flat in Winterthur Way, Basingstoke, on June 3 last year.

He plunged a carving knife into her abdomen to a depth of between 15cm and 20cm, severing a major vein and hitting her spine. He then fled the scene, discarding the murder weapon and throwing away his jacket.

Fatally wounded, Miss Colpus staggered back into her flat where she collapsed and died. Her body lay undiscovered in a pool of blood in her bathroom for nine days.

During a five-day trial, Simei denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter. However, a jury rejected his assertions that he didn't mean to kill Miss Colpus, and found him guilty of murder.

Miss Colpus' violent death followed her descent into the murky world of drug dealing in Basingstoke.

Prosecutor Stuart Jones QC told the trial that Miss Colpus got involved in supplying and taking drugs as a teenager and it was this that led to her death at Simei's hands.

Simei was called to Miss Colpus' flat late at night on June 3 by one of his drugs runners who told him that "demands were being made".

Simei took a carving knife from a friend's home in Westray Close, Basingstoke, and travelled in a taxi to Winterthur Way. He claimed he "pushed the knife towards Jolene just to scare her" - but the jury did not believe him.

Passing sentence, the judge, Mr Justice Jack, said that Simei, of New Cross Gate, London, became addicted to hard drugs at the age of 15. He added the irony of the murder case was that when Simei was 17, his own father was murdered.

The court heard Simei has previous convictions for robbery, burglary, possessing a bladed article in a public place - a lock knife and a medical scalpel - and for various drugs offences. He spent much of his older teenage years in young offenders institutions and even had a conviction for assaulting a prison officer while serving a jail sentence.

The judge noted the remorse shown by Simei and the apology he made to Miss Colpus' family when he gave evidence during the trial.

Simei showed no emotion when Mr Justice Jack meted out the life sentence, but sobs could be heard from members of Miss Colpus' family who were sat in the public gallery.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Detective Superintendent Andy Stewart, who led the police investigation, said: "We are very pleased with the sentence. It has been a very distressing time for the family but justice has been done.

"The case clearly revolved around drugs and the carrying of knives and I would urge people to take note of this case and the consequences of carrying knives."

  • See your Gazette, out today, for an exclusive interview with Jolene Colpus' mother Debby Sells