A 19-year-old from Perivale has been jailed for 25 years after stabbing a teenager to death in Chatham, Kent.
Musa Salih, of Launceston Road, stabbed 19-year-old Harley Purdue eight times during an attack at a property in Thorold Road, Chatham at about 3am on 2 December 2025.
Salih had lured Mr Purdue to the building’s communal basement, intending to lock him in a toilet and steal money from his bedroom, the court heard. Mr Purdue’s girlfriend intervened during the attack, and Salih tried to injure her before fleeing.
He was arrested in Lewisham later that day. Police said a review of his phone showed he had asked an AI app for legal advice and updates about the incident.
Salih denied murder but was found guilty by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court on last month (15 October 2026). He was sentenced at the same court on 4 November 2026. His sentence was reduced to 24 years and 30 days to account for time spent on remand.
Detective Sergeant Alastair Worton said: “Salih’s plan to steal Mr Purdue’s money in the middle of the night, whilst armed with a knife, has resulted in a man’s death and his own detention for 25 years. The swift response to track him down in London, followed by a comprehensive investigation, ensured the jury rightly convicted him for the crime he denied.
“Our thoughts remain with Harley’s loved ones, whose strength and dignity throughout our investigation and the court proceedings has been commendable.‘I hope today’s sentence brings them some closure and a sense that justice has been done.”
Mr Purdue’s family said they wanted him to be remembered as “the fun, loving, gentle giant that he was”.
