Luciano Dos Santos Almeida death: Men jailed for 'retribution' stabbing Published duration 25 November 2019

image copyright Thames Valley Police image caption Luciano Dos Santos Almeida was attacked in Oxford in February

Two men convicted of murdering a man who was knocked down by a car and stabbed in "retribution" have been given life sentences in prison.

Luciano Dos Santos Almeida, from Southampton, was attacked in Oxford on 27 February and died at the John Radcliffe Hospital on 6 March.

Welid Solomon, 25, and Michael Yemane, 20, must serve minimum terms of 26 years and 20 years respectively.

Safeen Karimi, 27, was jailed for nine years for manslaughter.

Karimi, of Hode Garth, Thame, was acquitted of murder.

image copyright TVP image caption Solomon, Yemane and Karimi were sentenced at Oxford Crown Court

Yemane, of South Bridge Row, Oxford, was granted asylum in the UK in June 2016 after coming from Eritrea.

He was robbed at knifepoint of money and drugs he was selling. He believed his masked attacker was Mr Almeida, the court heard.

'Beautiful gift'

Prosecutor Paul Cavin said the group "set out in two cars to sweep the area in an attempt to find the deceased and get some retribution".

media caption CCTV shows man being hit by car

Mr Cavin said Mr Almeida was then "stabbed multiple times shortly after being deliberately run over by a car driven by Welid Solomon", of Field Avenue, Oxford.

Carla Dos Santos, Mr Almeida's mother, told reporters outside Oxford Crown Court her son was "the most beautiful gift I could ever have wished for".

She said: "Luciano was adored by so many. Nothing will ever bring my son back, but I find comfort knowing justice has been done."

Det Ch Insp Stuart Blaik said Mr Almeida was "involved in the supply of drugs" and that he was on Solomon's and Yemane's area "and they weren't happy with that".

Sasan Khalid, 19, of no fixed address, was acquitted of murder, in the trial at Oxford Crown Court.