Wembley park killings: Danyal Hussein jailed for life for murdering sisters

A man who murdered two sisters at random in a park has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of 35 years.

Danyal Hussein, 19, repeatedly stabbed Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, at Fryent Country Park in Wembley, north-west London, on 6 June 2020.

He killed them after a birthday party in a supposed "sacrifice" he claimed he believed would give him a lottery win.

Their bodies were found by Ms Smallman's boyfriend the day after they had been reported missing to police.

The defendant, who was convicted of two counts of murder at an Old Bailey trial in July, sat facing away from the court as he was sentenced.

Speaking outside court, the sisters' mother Mina Smallman said justice had been done for her "beautiful girls".

On their killer, she said: "He's just an obnoxious human being. He is a broken human being who - if he had not been caught - four other families may have been suffering what we have."

Jurors had heard how the teenager embarked on a "campaign of vengeance" against random women. Hussein apparently thought that if he sacrificed six women, this would help him win a Mega Millions Super Jackpot lottery prize of £321m.

Hussein stabbed Ms Henry eight times before slashing Ms Smallman 28 times as she fought back. He then dragged the bodies into bushes.

Ms Smallman's boyfriend Adam Stone told the court how he had screamed and fell to his knees upon finding them 36 hours later lying top to toe and intertwined.

Sentencing Hussein, from Blackheath in south-east London, Mrs Justice Whipple said he had dragged the bodies away and posed them in an embrace to "defile" them in death.

She said: "You had found these two women. You were a stranger to them. You surprised them, you terrified them and you killed them.

"You committed these vicious attacks. You did it to kill. You did it for money and a misguided pursuit of power."

The judge said the lives of his victims' loved ones had been "shattered".

By Helena Wilkinson, BBC News

Hussein wasn't in court seven of the Old Bailey today.

Instead, he watched proceedings on a video-link from Belmarsh Prison, dressed in a grey tracksuit.

The court heard he couldn't attend for Covid-related reasons at the jail.

At the start of the sentencing hearing, Hussein stared straight ahead, but soon assumed a series of postures including crouching with his feet up on the chair.

And when the judge, Mrs Justice Whipple, addressed him directly he deliberately moved his chair around so he could only be seen in profile.

In court, Mina Smallman, the mother of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, maintained a dignified silence throughout and ignored Hussein's antics.

On Tuesday, Mina Smallman dismissed an apology from the Metropolitan Police after the force's response to her daughters' disappearance was found to be below standard.

A report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said that an inspector closed the police logs after receiving information about the sisters' possible whereabouts from a family member, but that information was "inaccurately" recorded by a communications supervisor.

This meant that missing persons inquiries for both women were not progressed properly.

In addition, two police constables have been charged with misconduct in public office. They allegedly took "non-official and inappropriate photographs" of the crime scene before sharing them on WhatsApp, and are due to enter a plea next week.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said in a statement on Thursday that "it's right that questions are being asked within the Met Police right now" with regard to searches for missing people in the wake of the case.

Ms Patel said the government was determined to tackle the "abhorrent issue" of violence against women and girls, and said the case of the murdered sisters was "terrible" and "tragic".

Last week, a self-styled "black magician" was kicked off social media after a BBC investigation exposed his influence on Hussein.

Speaking after sentencing, Det Insp Maria Green said: "Danyal Hussein is a dangerous, arrogant and violent individual who from the outset has shown no remorse or acceptance of his actions.

"This has been a shocking and chilling case and I know the investigation will stay with all of those involved for a long time to come."