Judge postpones sentence due to murderer's no-show

A judge has postponed a sentencing hearing after a man convicted of murdering a "drug runner" failed to appear in court.

Peter Janoski, 45, was convicted in April of killing 37-year-old Dean Fountaine in Luton in June 2023, and he is on remand in prison.

Judge Michael Simon was told that relatives of Mr Fountaine, who was from Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, wanted Janoski in court when sentence was handed down.

The judge said it was in the best interests of Mr Fountaine's family that Janoski, of no fixed address, took part in the hearing. He postponed sentencing until 28 July.

Police said two men had plotted to rob Mr Fountaine, a drug runner for a rival gang, before stabbing him in Ashton Road on 19 June two years ago.

Janoski was found guilty of murder, while Dylan Myrie, 21, of Hallwicks Road, Luton, was found guilty of manslaughter after denying the charges.

Myrie appeared at Friday's sentencing hearing, and members of his family were in court, but his sentencing has also been postponed until July.

Maryam Syed KC, who led the prosecution team at the trial at Luton Crown Court, said Janoski had raised a health issue but a nurse had concluded he was fit to attend.

She said Mr Fountaine's family were at the hearing and raised concerns about Janoski non-attendance.

Charles Miskin KC, who represented Jonoski said he "could understand" the family's concerns, but he had been instructed by his client to ask for the hearing to go ahead.

The judge said Janoski should be given the chance to appear in court to hear his sentence and added: "I have concluded that justice requires one more shot."

Criminals who refuse to attend sentencing in England and Wales could face an additional two years in prison, under a new bill introduced in Parliament in May.

New measures under the Victims and Courts Bill could apply to any crown court case.

The issue has arisen in a number of case in recent years.

In March, a man who killed his ex-girlfriend, her sister and her mother after arming himself with crossbow and a knife refused to attend his sentencing hearing at Cambridge Crown Court.

Kyle Clifford had raped his former partner Louise Hunt, 25, then used a crossbow to shoot both her and her sister Hannah, 28, having already fatally stabbed their mother, 61-year-old Carol, at the family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, in July 2024.

He was given three whole-life prison sentences in his absence by a judge.

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