Benjamin Katabana, 28, has been sentenced to life in prison with a 20-year minimum term for the murder of his 33-year-old roommate, Uchenna Okirie. A jury at Norwich Crown Court found Katabana guilty, dismissing his attempt to plead manslaughter based on diminished responsibility.
The incident occurred on November 22 at Somerleyton House. Evidence from CCTV revealed that Katabana used WhatsApp messages to draw Okirie into a hallway. While Okirie was occupied with his phone, Katabana initiated a brutal, unprovoked knife attack. Okirie suffered a fatal chest wound and head injuries, and he was declared dead at the scene shortly after 06:00 GMT.
Following the stabbing, Katabana triggered the fire alarm before walking to the Bethel Street Police Station to confess. Judge Bate highlighted Katabana’s history of impulsive and violent behavior, noting that the victim was caught off guard in his own home. Although the defense referenced Katabana’s traumatic background in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he refused to explain his actions during police questioning, and the murder weapon remains missing.
Okirie, an economics graduate from the University of East Anglia, was remembered by law enforcement as the victim of a calculated assault. Detective Alix Wright stated that Katabana armed himself with the intent to harm before luring his victim to the corridor. The court’s decision offers some closure to Okirie’s family as the defendant begins his lengthy prison term.
