A prisoner who beat his deceased cellmate to death with a wooden table leg has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 17 years.
On February 18, 2020, at the maximum security HMP Belmarsh in southeast London, Stevie Hilden, 31, beat Sundeep Ghuman, 36, to death.
The victim, who was imprisoned for Bexley arson attacks in 2011, was taken to the hospital but passed on the next day.
Mr. Ghuman died from a catastrophic head injury, and a post-mortem revealed that he also had substantial bruising throughout the rest of his body.
Hilden is thought to have repeatedly struck his cellmate with a table leg that he had torn off inside the cell.
After being detained, he steadfastly refused to respond to any inquiries and failed to explain the circumstances surrounding the victim’s injuries to the authorities.
Despite his denials, Hilden was found guilty of murder at Woolwich Crown Court and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 17 years before being eligible for parole.
On May 7, 2011, Mr. Ghuman entered a Kwik Fit store armed with a blowtorch and a propane gas canister.
He then set fire to a fence and a stack of tires.
Later that night, after he damaged a pipe and a gas buildup resulted, neighbors had to be evacuated from their houses.
He was found guilty of two counts of arson and three counts of reckless disregard for the safety of persons.
Mr. Ghuman was sentenced to five years and four months in prison and was told to follow a five-year license restriction.
The investigating officer, Detective Inspector Karen Bangs, stated: “Sundeep was the victim of a protracted attack that left him critically injured and ultimately led to his death.
“My thoughts are still with his family as they struggle to accept their loss,” I said.
“This was a difficult inquiry, and I want to appreciate the jail administration for their assistance throughout the process.”
Hilden will now spend a significant amount of time in a high-security jail because he is a dangerous offender.
Harpal Ghuman, the victim’s mother, stated: “On February 19, 2020, my son was slain in a terrible and heartless manner.
I get really angry just thinking about the anguish Sundeep had to go through.
Mr. Hilden has demonstrated no regret for his deeds.
I don’t want anyone else to experience the same grief and suffering that I have.
I want to thank the prison officers, police officers, and lawyers for obtaining justice for my son after listening to all the testimony in court.