CHINDAMO: PHILIP LAWRENCE KILLER FACES RETRIAL

The killer of headteacher Philip Lawrence faces a robbery retrial after a judge was forced to abandon the case after a series of delays.

Learco Chindamo, 30, is said to have used his notoriety as a ‘badge of honour’ to terrorise David Sexton, then 19, to hand over £20 at a cashpoint machine.

Jurors had heard how Chindamo, who served 15 years for murdering Mr Lawrence, robbed Mr Sexton just four months after he was released from jail.

Chindamo was allegedly joined by Gregory Jananto and Saeed Akhtar, both 32, in carrying out the robbery in Camden in the early hours of November 13 last year.

The jury at Blackfriars Crown Court was today discharged following a host of events that conspired to halt its progress.

Proceedings were held up for hours on the second morning of the trial after it emerged a teenage work experience student with the probation service had approached a juror.

The judge had put the misdemeanour down to stupidity rather than anything sinister.

The case did not sit yesterday while a juror attended a funeral and Judge Judge Aiden Marron QC said the trial, originally set for nine days, could not overrun because he has a two-week holiday booked.

Addressing the jury after a lengthy adjournment, he said: ‘Let me thank you for your patience – you must be exceedingly irritated by the way events have transpired.

‘I am afraid that it is now impossible to complete this case within any reasonable time-frame which is compatible with your obligation to sit in a jury.

‘This case won’t finish anywhere near the allocated time, so I am going to have to discharge you.

‘It may appear a manifest waste of time; unfortunately it does occur that courts schedule cases for a week or two and then they take five weeks – and that is not fair to you.

‘I clearly have major regrets, but I am afraid it is an executive decision that I have reached with counsel.’

Chindamo, living in Canadian Avenue, Catford, southeast London, at the time of the alleged robbery, remains in custody pending a retrial later this year.

Chindamo, of no fixed address, Akhtar, of Lavita House, Chalton Street, Kings Cross, northwest London, and Jananto, of Percy Road, Shepherd’s Bush, west London, all deny robbery.
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