An Egyptian homeless man received a 26 year prison sentence after murdering a gay man in Hyde Park.

Jairo Medina, a single gay man from Chelsea was in the park the evening of 11 August 2016 when Hani Khalaf killed him.

According to reports, Khalaf, 22, kicked, punched, and stomped Medina, 62, to death and then stole his wallet and phone.

At the trial, judge Wendy Joseph QC revealed Khalaf previously came to the attention of law enforcement six times.

‘On each, he was rebailed because they could not make arrangements for securing his deportation in a reasonable amount of time,’ she said. This failure to deport him forced Medina to pay for it ‘with his life’.

‘No respect for the law’

During the court appearance, Joseph further said Khalaf showed ‘no respect for the law’. He also had no way of ‘lawfully maintaining himself’.

The day before he met and attacked Medina, he was arrested and bailed for shoplifting in Regent Street. During this encounter, he gave the police a false name he had previously given immigration officers.

German Cardona, Medina’s brother, told the court that Medina was a devoted caretaker. He received a service award in 2015 and spent much time supporting their ailing father, who died within months of Medina.

A close friend, Mahmood Khan, said: ‘If Mr Medina was alive he would probably forgive the person who had committed this crime.’

Once he is no longer a category A prisoner, Khalaf will reportedly be sent to serve the remainder of his sentence in Egypt.

H/t: BBC