Judge: "You acknowledge the terrible consequences of your actions."

"The Jury has found you guilty of the murder of Mohammed Mahroof. He was a married man aged 39 years. He had two children: a boy aged 12 and a girl aged nine. It is plain that he was adored by his family; he worked hard for them and was their only financial support. He was a religious man attending the Mosque and helping out. He was well respected in the community that he served.

"The lives of his wife and children have been devastated; the effect of what you have done will blight their lives for years to come. His wider family and friends are shocked, appalled and greatly saddened by both his death and the manner of it. His wife's written tribute within the case papers is heartrending.

"You ended his life last May.

"Yours was a desperate act, born of no more than a determination to obtain money with which to buy alcohol.

"You and your Co-Accused planned to rob him of his hard earned takings. You were not satisfied with what money you had already obtained and largely spent on drink.

"Only you know what went on between you and Mr Mahroof during the 20 odd minutes that you and he were in his taxi. He must have become increasingly suspicious and anxious; his final moments terrifying as he tried to get help - you having left him to his fate and run away. He must have known how serious was his plight; he may well have realised that he was dying.

"The penalty for murder is fixed by Law. You will serve a mandatory life sentence.

"I am required by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to determine if and when the provisions regarding release from prison should apply to you. In my judgement they do apply and I must now decide that period that you must serve before the Parole Board will be entitled to even consider your release.

"I have to decide the starting point. I find, as it has been submitted to me, that it is 30 years.

"I have to consider whether there are any aggravating or mitigating factors.

"I accept that you did not set out that evening to kill or to cause really serious harm. The plan was to rob at knifepoint. The risks of having and using the knife were obvious. You knew from your previous sentence that the Courts discouraged even the suggestion of a knife being involved.

"lt has been submitted to me that you were the weaker character of the two of you. In my judgement it does not matter whose idea it was to start with; it became both your intentions to use one.

"Mr Mahroof performed an invaluable public service, driving his taxi at times when most people socialise and many would not be able to do so without such a service as he provided. I have already referred to his suffering in the moments leading to his death.

"Save for those considerations, there are no other aggravating features within the meaning of paragraph 10 of Schedule 21 of the Act.

"I have considered the mitigating factors set out in paragraph 11. It seems to me plain that you did not intend to kill. That you intended really serious bodily injury at the time you stabbed is now, by the Jury's verdict, beyond question.

"I accept that until the action, this was not a premeditated killing. Perhaps above all, I have to remember you were 20 years old at the time. Those qualify as mitigating factors.

"Mr Evans made two other points on your behalf that I accept. First, that from the outset you co-operated with the Police. You were skilfully questioned by Police Officers who had carefully prepared their lines of enquiry. You provided invaluable detail in your answers which could be checked and verified against other evidence that the Police carefully collected.

"Second, I accept that your remorse is genuine; the letter that you have written is clearly sincere. You acknowledge the terrible consequences of your actions.

"I have to bear in mind your previous conviction for attempted robbery, from which sentence you were released just days before you murdered Mr Mahroof. The circumstances of it are clear. You were one of three young males who tried to rob a man at 7pm on a November evening. He was hit, assaulted with a bicycle and punched over his body. He was told by a Co-Accused that that male had a knife and attempts were made to get his money and property. The robbery would have been successful but for the intervention of two Asian men who intervened and both helped your victim and called assistance. The sentence imposed should have made clear to you that this kind of crime will not be tolerated.

"It is frequently asserted - usually by those who should know better - that a sentence somehow is to be equated with the value of a life. How can it be? Every individual life is priceless; no one can turn the clock backwards and no sentence can assuage the grief of the innocent. No such equation is remotely possible or sensible.

"Taking all factors into account, I conclude that the appropriate minimum period that you must serve is 22 years. From that term must be deducted the period that you have spent in custody on remand awaiting trial, namely six days. The minimum period from today will be 22 years less six days, providing that that credit has been accurately quantified.

"I emphasise that this is the minimum term. It is no necessary indication of how long you will actually serve because it is only after that time that the Parole Board will be entitled even to consider your release. It will be only when the Parole Board is satisfied that you need no longer be kept in custody for the protection of the public that it will be able to direct your actual release.

"Thus this period represents the very minimum that you will serve. If you are ever released, it will be on terms that you are on licence for the rest of your life. That means that you will be liable to be recalled to prison at any time if your licence is revoked either on the recommendation of the Parole Board or, if it is thought to be expedient in the public interest, by the Secretary of State."