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Pair jailed for conspiracy to murder over pregnancy
Brandon Jolie, 19, a student and music producer of Bute Street, Luton was jailed for 14 years for the same offence. Jolie previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder at the Old Bailey on 9 February 2009. The pair plotted to murder the 15-year-old victim after Jolie found out she was pregnant with his baby. Jolie was worried that having a child might ruin his burgeoning music career and confided in his friend Ogundele. Together, they casually hatched a plan for Ogundele to murder the victim at the Regent's Canal, N1. Their plan would have been successful had it not been for the timely and heroic intervention of a passer-by. On 12 November 2008, Jolie arranged to meet the victim, who was 26 weeks pregnant, at the canal. However, he never intended to turn up. At 19:15hrs the victim was walking alongside the canal having been lured there by Jolie with numerous text messages directing her to a secluded and dark area, when she was attacked from behind by Ogundele. Ogundele hit her over the head with an object believed to be a metal pole numerous times, causing her to fall to the ground. She was then punched, pushed into the canal and held down under the water by Ogundele. Fortunately, a male passer-by heard her screams and ran to help causing Ogundele to run away. The man pulled the victim out of the water and she was taken to a north London hospital suffering minor head injuries. Fortunately, her unborn child was unharmed and the victim was discharged from hospital soon afterwards. Officers from the Islington Police Community Safety Unit led by DI Helen Williams embarked upon a thorough and exhaustive investigation, involving liaison with computer experts. On Ogundele's computer, after extensive examination, an MSN chat between the suspects was revealed. During this they calmly plotted to kill the victim whilst having a light-hearted conversation about popular TV shows and music. Officers from Islington VIIDO (Visual Images Identification Office) carried out extensive mobile phone and CCTV enquiries to track and confirm Ogundele's movements from the scene to Luton where Jolie lived. Jolie was arrested in Luton on 13 November 2008 and Ogundele was arrested in Romford on 17 November 2008. In summing up Judge Worsley QC said: "You intended that not only would she die but her unborn baby would die too. The best years of your life are to be spent behind bars. This offence is not only a tragedy for the victim and her family but for your families too." Detective Inspector Helen Williams from the Islington Police Community Safety Unit said: "Today's sentencing result reflects the severity of their crime. If it wasn't for the courageous intervention of a passer-by I strongly believe this would have been a murder investigation. "The impact of this crime is immense. The victim was left extremely traumatised and there is also her child to consider. The offenders, particularly Jolie, had bright futures ahead of them which they have themselves destroyed. "It's hard to comprehend the casual way in which Ogundele and Jolie callously plotted to kill the victim - all because they didn't want Jolie's aspirations of fame to be affected. "That both Ogundele and Jolie have been convicted and jailed for a long time is testament to the police investigation - in particular the professionalism and dedication of our officers and the experts who assisted us."
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