Fatal attack outside university campus
A 19-year-old University of Leicester student has been jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of manslaughter over the fatal stabbing of a former friend in Leicester city centre. Harper Dennis stabbed Khaleed Oladipo, a 20-year-old third-year cybersecurity student at De Montfort University, five times in the chest on 3 February. Oladipo died in hospital later that evening despite efforts by members of the public and medical professionals who came to his aid.
The attack took place on Oxford Street near De Montfort University’s Innovation Centre. According to reporting by LBC and the Leicester Mercury, dashcam footage from a passing motorist captured the two men grappling and falling to the ground, where Dennis stabbed Oladipo a number of times. The footage also showed Dennis fleeing the scene while the injured Oladipo knelt on the floor before collapsing. CCTV had tracked Dennis’s movements from the moment he left his nearby student accommodation at 4.46pm. He returned to the accommodation only 22 minutes after leaving.
Dennis was arrested from his student accommodation within a few hours of the attack following fast-track enquiries by Leicestershire Police. Forensic examination of the knife recovered in the investigation showed DNA from the handle matched Dennis and blood from the blade matched Oladipo, the Leicester Mercury reported.
Court findings and sentence
A jury at Leicester Crown Court found Dennis guilty of manslaughter, possession of an offensive weapon and failing to provide the PIN to his phone. The jury did not convict him of murder. As reported by the Leicester Mercury, he was subsequently jailed for 10 years.
Prosecutor Jane Osborne KC told the court that Dennis killed Oladipo because of a “perceived debt.” LBC reported that Oladipo had been on his way home to watch Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea and was on the phone with his girlfriend at the time of the attack. She heard him say: “Why did you come up to me and stab me?”
Background to the dispute
Dennis and Oladipo had become friends through online gaming. In evidence given to the jury and reported by LBC, Dennis said he had sent Oladipo £6,000 of savings, money given to him by his parents, so that Oladipo could make money by scamming people. When he did not receive the money back, Oladipo gave him a Rolex watch that Dennis was told was genuine and could be sold. Dennis said he discovered the watch was fake after taking it to jewellers in Hatton Garden.
Dennis told the court he had a gambling addiction and had threatened to expose Oladipo online. LBC reported that Dennis made calls to Oladipo’s girlfriend on Christmas Day and described Oladipo as a “bad guy.” Messages from a Snapchat group and private messages pointed to a monetary dispute, and threats were made by Dennis towards Oladipo and his girlfriend in the weeks leading up to the incident, according to the Leicester Mercury.
After the attack Dennis gave a bag of clothes to his flatmate and asked a fellow student to dispose of a black bin bag containing his clothing. He refused to provide his phone PIN, remained silent in police interviews and provided a prepared statement claiming self-defence.
Defence account and police response
In his evidence Dennis told the court he feared for his life and acted in self-defence when Oladipo approached him with a knife. He said he did not know he had stabbed Oladipo during the fight and was “shocked” when arrested later that evening on suspicion of murder.
Detective Inspector Lorna Granville of Leicestershire Police described the attack as “completely disproportionate and unnecessary.” In a statement carried by both outlets she highlighted the investigation’s findings and the dangers of carrying a knife, noting the devastating consequences and the death of a young man with his whole life ahead of him.
Oladipo’s family issued a statement expressing their sadness and pride in him.
Investigation details
Detectives from Leicestershire Police’s East Midlands Special Operations Unit major crime team pieced together evidence from witnesses, CCTV, dashcam footage and forensic examinations. Although CCTV on the opposite side of Oxford Street was blocked by traffic at the moment of the stabbing, the dashcam recording proved crucial. Dennis, a first-year student, had left his accommodation, encountered Oladipo who was walking from his girlfriend’s accommodation towards the city centre, and returned home shortly afterwards.
The case underlines the speed with which police were able to identify and arrest the suspect through coordinated use of surveillance and forensic material. Dennis was convicted on the manslaughter count rather than murder, reflecting the jury’s assessment of the evidence presented at Leicester Crown Court.