In 2000, the Preddie brothers, who were aged twelve and thirteen at the time, were convicted of manslaughter after Damilola bled to death after being stabbed with a broken bottle. Six years on, Mr. Taylor thinks that the eight year youth custordy sentence will not act as a deterant to other potential killers.


Mr Taylor believes that a life sentence is needed for the Preddie brothers. The brothers, now aged eighteen and nineteen, could be free in three years. The father says that "we acknowledge efforts by the Police and Government to date, but we feel they are insufficient to address the problem longer term".


The Preddie brothers, called Danny and Ricky, were very defiant at their trial and denied killing Damilola with a broken beer bottle in November 2000, but were found guilty of manslaughter at a re-trial in August after forensic evidence was discovered on the brothers clothes. This shows that that they are sloppy criminals, and have not washed their clothes in the last six years. Their last trial in April gave them a sentence of murder and assault with intent to rob, but the jury did not hand out a manslaughter acusation.


 Damilola Taylor was Nigerian born and had only been in Britain a few months when the brothers killed him whilest he was walking home from the local library after school.