Man sentenced for Robert West’s death
A man has been sentenced today for the manslaughter of Robert West, who was fatally stabbed outside a Birmingham club.
Rashidi Powell, 20, of Roslin Grove, Birmingham was sentenced today (27 April 2023) at Birmingham Crown Court to eight years and three months imprisonment.
He previously pleaded guilty to Mr West’s manslaughter earlier in January 2023.
The other defendants Ashon D’Aguilar, 19, of Brunswick Road, Birmingham, and Tyreek Walker, 18, of Hytall Road, Solihull, were sentenced in January 2023 after pleading guilty to possession of a bladed article.
On 21 February 2022, 48-year-old Robert West was fatally stabbed at the Cross Keys Banqueting Suite in Ladywood during a confrontation with a group of men.
The CPS charged Rashidi Powell with murder which he denied but he admitted manslaughter.
Kate Seal of the CPS said: “Rashidi Powell stabbed Robert West and callously ended his life, today he is facing the consequences of his actions with a prison sentence. Powell, like so many other young people habitually carried a knife and it is this habit that ruins so many lives. Had Powell not been armed, Robert West may still be alive today to see his children grow up. The CPS will continue to work closely with the police and criminal justice partners to ensure that those who carry knives and commit such heinous acts are bought to justice. No sentence will return Robert West to his family and our thoughts remain with them.”
Notes to editors
- Kate Seal is a Specialist Prosecutor for CPS West Midlands.
- The CPS has a responsibility to keep all cases under continuous review and during the course of this case, we carefully considered all the available evidence, and determined that the legal test for a murder prosecution was not met. However, we built a robust case for manslaughter which left the defendant no option but to admit the manslaughter charge.