Teenagers jailed for Mistaken Identity Murder of Boy

Two 17-year-olds have been jailed for murdering a 16-year-old boy in a case of mistaken identity.

Ronan Kanda was stabbed close to his home in Wolverhampton after he visited a friend’s house to buy a PlayStation controller on June 29, 2022.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court, it was heard that Pradjeet Veadhasa was owed money by Ronan’s friend and intended to confront him.

The judge, Mr Justice Choudhury, said it was a “tragic coincidence” they saw Ronan leave the house where their intended victim lived and believed he was the boy they were after.

Ronan was just yards away from his home when he was attacked from behind as he listened to music in headphones.

Earlier in the day, Veadhasa had collected a ninja sword set and a large machete from a local post office after buying them online using a fake name.

Sukhman Shergill carried the machete by Veadhasa stabbed Ronan twice with the sword and he died at the scene.

The boy suffered a 20cm-deep wound in his back and hip area, and a 17cm-deep wound in his chest.

After realising it was the wrong person, the pair fled, dumping their weapons and clothes.

In a personal statement, Ronan’s mother Pooja Kanda said:

“I have lost a lifetime of dreams, hopes and ambitions. He was the son that every mother needs.”

Addressing the defendants, she told them “your evil actions have taken my son’s life” which left her with “nothing but hatred for this world”.

The victim’s sister Nikita Kanda said she was “no longer the same person” and added:

“My world has stopped, I feel empty and I’m just surviving.”

Although Shergill did not inflict any blows, it was concluded that he acted in the joint enterprise of Ronan’s murder.

Defending Veadhasa, Adam Morgan said his client was of good character and was “genuinely remorseful”.

Timothy Hannam KC, defending Shergill, said his client should be treated more leniently as “Veadhesa was the one who actually killed Ronan”.

The judge lifted reporting restrictions on naming them in an attempt to send out a strong message about the seriousness of knife crime.

Veadhasa will serve a minimum term of 18 years and Shergill will serve a minimum of 16.

West Midlands Police described it as an “unbelievably callous and shocking case of mistaken identity”.

Mrs Kanda added:

“They are monsters. These youths, they didn’t think twice before what they did to my son.”

“When I saw for the first time the size of the sword, I fainted in grief.”

Nikita said she was shocked at how easy it was to buy such dangerous weapons.

She said: “The boy who murdered my brother, he actually ordered them under his mother’s ID.

“He was able just to walk into the post office and just give the name and be given the parcel.

“If that boy was ID’d there, then maybe my brother would be here today.”

Ronan’s family is now calling for an urgent ban on the online sale of swords and large knives to “stop another innocent life getting taken away by knife crime”.