Man jailed for life for murder and GBH with intent

A man who stabbed another man 38 times and inflicted 56 other knife wounds has been jailed for life for murder, grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon, namely a kitchen knife.

Tyrell James, aged 24, of Hawksmoor Close, High Wycombe, was convicted by a unanimous jury verdict of murder, following a trial at Reading Crown Court, which concluded on 27 March.

James will serve a minimum term of 31 years in prison for murder.

He was also sentenced to eight years for section 18 wounding with intent, and one year and two months for possession of an offensive weapon, which will run concurrently.

James was further sentenced to a further two years’ imprisonment following an activation of a previous suspended sentence for class A drug supply offences.

This will be served concurrently.

Karl Stanislaus, who was 44-years-old, was viciously attacked by James on 5 September 2023 before being left for dead beneath a disused railway bridge in Bowden Lane on the outskirts of High Wycombe, being discovered by a member of the public.

The ferocious attack on Mr Stanislaus resulted in 38 separate stab wounds and a total of 56 knife wounds about his head, neck, torso, upper limbs and right leg.

James had been in contact with Mr Stanislaus just prior to his death and was placed at the scene by phone and CCTV evidence.

James was arrested on 9 September 2023 and was charged with murder on 12 September.

Witnesses heard Mr Stanislaus screaming and begging for his life as James launched his frenzied assault. The member of the public who discovered his body at just before 9.50pm tried to save Mr Stanislaus’s life, administering CPR.

Sadly, Mr Stanislaus was pronounced dead at the scene by ambulance crew.

His cause of death was confirmed as catastrophic blood loss as a result of stabbing.

Several months earlier, on 27 December 2022, James stabbed another man, aged in his thirties, in Walton Drive, High Wycombe.

The victim of this attack received several knife wounds, but thankfully survived his injuries.

James originally pleaded not guilty to this offence, but changed his plea on 27 March after the guilty verdict for Mr Stanislaus’s murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Brangwin of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit, said: “Tyrell James is an extremely violent individual who has killed an innocent man in Mr Stanislaus and inflicted serious knife injuries to another victim some months earlier.

“Our investigation into Mr Stanislaus’s murder linked James to the scene of this vicious attack, but throughout all his police interviews, he answered no comment to all questions put to him. He showed no remorse for what he had done.

“He denied any involvement in the murder in a pre-prepared statement, but after a meticulous investigation, James accepted that he had little choice but to admit killing Mr Stanislaus, but inexplicably claimed he was acting in self-defence.

“This defence was implausible. The frenzied and ferocious nature of the attack is one of the worst I have ever seen and there can be no doubt that James intended to kill Mr Stanislaus that night.

“Several months earlier, James stabbed another man in a completely separate incident, and he was under investigation for this when this murder took place.

“James is an extremely dangerous individual and he will rightly serve an extremely long time in prison.

“At the conclusion of this case I am mindful of the enormous impact this has had on the family of Mr Stanislaus.

“They have had to endure many months of pain while we investigated his murder, and I would like to thank them for their patience and dignity, and for putting their trust in our investigation.

“I know that no sentence will ever serve as solace for them; no family should ever have to go through what they have, but I hope the fact we have brought James to justice will at least offer them some comfort and they can begin to move forward with their lives.

“James’s course of action that night was violent in the extreme, and Thames Valley Police will relentlessly pursue and seek to prosecute those who carry knives. It is not, and never will be acceptable, and my message is clear.

“Knife carrying will not be tolerated in the Thames Valley.

“Harsher consequences have now been brought in, meaning you will end up in court and habitual offenders will trigger mandated minimum sentences more quickly. There are no second chances.

“If you are caught in possession of a knife in public in the Thames Valley, Operation Deter will seek to robustly charge and remand you and place you before the courts.

"We are resolute in our determination to make our communities safer by removing knives from our streets.”