Man jailed for beating stranger to death with fire extinguishers in gambling arcade

Relatives of victim say his horrific death cast ‘dark cloud’ over their lives

Abel Berhany, 23 and from Leyton, east London, will serve a minimum of 18 years for the brutal and fatal attack (PA)

A man has been jailed for life for killing a stranger by brutally beating and torturing him at a gambling arcade.

Abel Berhany, 23, will serve a minimum of 18 years after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of 56-year-old Abraham Haile.

The Old Bailey was told that the defendant, from Leyton in east London, had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia when he attacked Mr Haile.

The court also heard how Berhany, an Eritrean national, had been tortured in Libya as a child before being granted asylum in Britain.

The horrific attack on Mr Haile at City Slots in Camden, north London, on 28 July 2020 was caught on CCTV footage.

Prosecutor Danny Robinson QC said that Berhany brought Mr Haile to the ground and stamped on him following an argument.

A manager at the arcade ushered seven other customers out of the building and locked the door as they waited for police to arrive.

Mr Robinson said: “During the course of 16 minutes that they were alone inside City Slots, Mr Berhany kicked, stamped or jumped on Mr Haile’s head or upper body 99 times.

“He used a pen to draw on or score Mr Haile’s neck and he poured bleach and sprayed an aerosol that he found in a store cupboard over Mr Haile’s body.

“He hit Mr Haile’s head with two fire extinguishers a total of 50 times and he discharged both fire extinguishers over and into Mr Haile.

“During the attack Mr Berhany stopped for a while to have a cigarette. After he finished his cigarette he started hitting Mr Haile with a fire extinguisher again, before he found a plastic broom in the smoking area.

“He removed the head of the broom and rammed the handle into Mr Haile’s mouth. He used a fire extinguisher to hammer the broom handle further down Mr Haile’s throat.

“The violence continued for another eight minutes before police managed to get into City Slots.”

Mr Haile was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following his arrest, Berhany said that he had been tortured in Libya in the past.

At a sentencing hearing, it was said on Berhany’s behalf that he was remorseful and found it difficult to believe he was capable of such violence.

Mr Haile’s family described the impact of his death, saying it was a “terrible way to go out” which had cast a “dark cloud” over their lives.

Sentencing, Judge Martin Picton suggested the defendant had been “re-enacting” the torture he had suffered in the past.

Mr Haile was a complete stranger who was simply in the “wrong place at the wrong time”.

The judge said: “The defendant’s actions simply beggar belief. No-one who has had to watch the CCTV footage will ever be able to forget what they witnessed.

“The defendant’s treatment of Mr Haile was cruel, heartless and inhuman.

“The defendant was entirely remorseless in his desire to inflict as much pain and indignity as he could.

“Abraham Haile lost his life in the most awful of circumstances. His family and those who loved him will never recover from the impact of this senseless tragedy. They will be left wondering why him and why did no-one save him?”

Judge Picton said there was a “significant” risk of Berhany committing further offences in the future and he may never be considered safe for release.

The judge awarded commendations to the first responding officers and the CCTV officer for their contributions to the case.

Afterwards, Detective Inspector Okikiola Okunola, of Scotland Yard, said: “Berhany spent two years remanded in custody leading up to this day. He underwent a number of psychiatric examinations during that time and it was initially concluded that he did not have a defence of diminished responsibility, so a trial began on 6 June 2022.

“During his trial, new information led to a reassessment and it was later concluded that he did have a defence of diminished responsibility, so a plea of manslaughter was accepted.

“This was a highly violent incident, the harrowing details of which were recounted in court in the presence of the victim’s loved ones. The judge, in this case, praised Mr Haile’s family for their dignity throughout the proceedings and also praised officers for their contributions to the investigation.

“I wholeheartedly agree with his comments and my thoughts are with Mr Haile’s family today.”