Stevenage man jailed for life for prom night murder

A Stevenage man who stabbed a student to death on his prom night has been jailed for life today.

Patrick Sharp-Meade, 20, was given a life sentence for murdering 18-year-old Kajetan Migdal in a vicious attack after he and his friends left their school prom in Stevenage in May 2022.

The school friends were getting changed by Kajetan’s car after the event before heading on to Cambridge to meet other classmates when Sharp-Meade approached them. He challenged them, mistakenly thinking they had been following or speaking to his ex-girlfriend who had walked past the group moments earlier. He then pulled a zombie knife from his trousers and stabbed Kajetan in the chest.

Sharp-Meade fled the scene, returning briefly to his nearby flat to hide the murder weapon in his mattress. Kajetan, who was left fatally injured, sadly died the next day in hospital.

Lawyer Lorraine Telford for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Sharp-Meade’s irrational jealousy led to the loss of a promising young man’s life.

“The witness accounts given during the trial provided a clear picture of what happened on that tragic night when the four schoolfriends were confronted by a total stranger, wearing a balaclava and armed with a large zombie-style knife.

“Sharp-Meade’s attack on Kajetan was wholly unprovoked and senseless, and the jury found him guilty of murder after the prosecution proved he was fully aware and in control of what he was doing when he stabbed and killed Kajetan. He will now spend a significant amount of time in prison for his crime.

“Our thanks go to Kajetan’s mum, family and friends for supporting the prosecution and for their unwavering patience, composure and bravery during the long trial process through which we secured justice for Kajetan.”