A teenager who admitted manslaughter during his retrial for the fatal stabbing of Thomas Taylor outside Bedford bus station has been jailed for more than eight years.
Ahmed Adam, 20, was one of five teenagers tried last summer for the murder of 17-year-old Thomas, who died following an attack on 8 January 2025.
Read: Teenager pleads guilty to manslaughter over fatal stabbing of Thomas Taylor
The confrontation began after Adam spotted Thomas and two others at around 5.50pm in Greenhill Street, calling out to his associates before moving towards them.
Seconds later, 20-year-old Bennett Ndenkeh pulled out a knife and stabbed Thomas.
Ndenkeh was convicted of murder last year, while 19-year-old Miah was convicted of manslaughter.
Retrial
The jury was previously unable to reach a verdict for Adam, but a week into his retrial in February, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his role in the fatal incident.
Adam was sentenced to six years and eight months for manslaughter.
He received a further consecutive sentence of one year and eight months for conspiracy to rob relating to an incident in Bedford in November 2025.
Victim impact statements were read to the court on behalf of the family of Thomas Taylor.
Thomas’s grandmother said: “Thomas had a life ahead of him. He had a lifetime of memories still left to make.
“That was all taken away in moments of senseless violence.
“The ripple effect of what was done to him has destroyed so many lives. Knife crime does not end with the victim. It spreads through an entire family.
“Everyone feels it; we miss Thomas so much.”
Read: Fifth teenager charged in connection with Thomas Taylor murder
“Whole future ahead of him”
Thomas’s aunt said: “Thomas was so much more than the tragedy that took him; he was a kind, funny and loyal young man with his whole future ahead of him.
“We refuse to let Thomas be remembered only for how he died.
“We are incredibly proud to have opened a community hub named in Thomas’s honour at his former school, King’s Oak Primary.
“This hub is now a safe space for children and families to find the support they need – a testament to the kind, caring person Thomas was.”
Read: Judge condemns ‘cowardly murder’ as Bedford teenagers sentenced for bus station stabbing
Detective chief inspector Richard Stott, who led the investigation for the Major Crime Unit, said: “Today’s sentence marks the conclusion of a long and complex process to secure justice for Tom and his loved ones.
“It has required determination and perseverance from everyone involved, including Tom’s family, who have also shown extraordinary strength and dignity throughout.
“This case remains a reminder of the devastation caused by knife crime – and how you do not have to be the person holding the weapon to face life-changing consequences.”
