Man jailed for killing of young drug dealer

Jason Nelson, 32, went to Jordan Maguire’s home, in Thrales Close, on 26 May 2013 with another man who wanted to buy cannabis from the young drug dealer.

High on drink and drugs, Nelson stabbed 20-year-old Jordan who staggered out of his home before collapsing in the street. Police and paramedics fought to save him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Maguire’s girlfriend had been in the house at the time of the attack and heard him shouting. She looked out of the window to see a man and woman running away from the house. She took a picture of the pair – the man was later identified as having been with Nelson and had witnessed the murder.

CCTV was obtained of Nelson in a supermarket in Purley Centre on the day of the murder and the images were circulated to media in a bid to trace him.

With detectives closing in on Nelson, he fled to Grenada.

He was arrested at the Port of Spain airport in Trinidad on 16 October 2013 by officers from the local force and the National Crime Agency.

He was remanded into custody before finally being extradited back to the UK in April this year.

Nelson, who had previous convictions for wounding and theft in his home country Grenada, denied murder but was convicted following a trial at Luton Crown Court on 22 October 2015.

He was jailed for a minimum of 27 years.

Detective Inspector Pushpa Guild, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “This was a cowardly attack of a young man in his own home. Nelson had gone to the house under the pretence of buying drugs but, once inside his kitchen, then stabbed Jordan Maguire repeatedly. Nelson was clearly a man out of control and intent on causing as much harm as he possibly could.

“To compound the misery for the Mr Maguire’s family, he then went on the run, fleeing the UK . Even once he had been arrested, he resisted extradition.

“We are glad that we have been able to bring him back to England to face justice and hope that today’s result will give some closure to those who have been affected by his actions on that day in 2013.”

Nelson was also charged with rape and sexual assault but was found not guilty of these offences following a trial at Luton Crown Court.