In a shocking and tragic incident that unfolded in Birmingham last year, a fatal misunderstanding over an electric bike’s ownership led a man to lose his life. After a dense legal process, Terrell Boyce, an 18-year-old from Hazellwell Street, was charged with murder, while 21-year-old Nathaniel Daly of Benmore Avenue was convicted of manslaughter. Kody Stephenson, 20, from Stechford, faced a sentence for robbery. This harrowing altercation and subsequent murder of victim Ronique Thomas brought the trio’s brutal actions to light.
The story begins six months prior to the fatal stabbing, when Ronique Thomas reported the theft of his electric bike from outside a shop in Highgate. In March of the following year, while out with his partner, Thomas recognised his reportedly stolen bike being used by Terrell Boyce. Following a confrontation, Boyce reluctantly returned the bike but continued demanding its return by frequently visiting Thomas’s partner’s workplace and issuing threats.
The tragic events unfolded on April 26 when Boyce, along with Nathaniel Daly and Kody Stephenson, stumbled upon Thomas’s parked bike outside a shop in Kings Heath. Reacting impulsively, Boyce ordered the taxi driver to halt, and the three men accosted Thomas. Boyce, wielding a knife, chased and stabbed Thomas repeatedly as Daly joined the pursuit, and Stephenson seized the bike. After the attack, the perpetrators fled the scene.
West Midlands Police acted swiftly in launching an investigation into the incident. Nathaniel Daly was arrested the following day, on April 27. Boyce, who had fled Birmingham, was apprehended in Scunthorpe. The police made a public appeal to identify the third suspect, leading to Kody Stephenson turning himself in two weeks later.
The trial took place at Birmingham Crown Court and concluded with the convictions of all three defendants. Terrell Boyce was found guilty of murder, robbery, and carrying a bladed article. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 25 years. Nathaniel Daly, convicted of manslaughter, robbery, and carrying a bladed article, received a 10-year prison sentence. Kody Stephenson, found guilty of robbery, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years behind bars.
The senseless killing of Ronique Thomas has left his family devastated. West Midlands Police hoped that the sentences handed down to Terrell Boyce, Nathaniel Daly, and Kody Stephenson provided some measure of justice for the victim and his grieving family. This tragic case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences that can arise from disputes escalating to violence, underlining the need for proactive measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
