Man jailed for life for stabbing 19-year-old during robbery

Summarised from BBC Kent's report · Updated 4 Nov, 18:02 · Archive

Musa Salih has been given a life sentence for stabbing Harley Purdue seven times during an attempted robbery in Chatham, Kent.

Musa Salih, of Greenford in London, was convicted in October of stabbing Harley Purdue seven times during an attempted robbery in Chatham, Kent on 2 December 2025. Purdue, 19, died in his pregnant girlfriend's arms. Salih, an Eritrean national according to Kent Police, tried to lock his victim in a toilet to steal his money. He also attempted to attack Purdue's partner, Hazel Gadsden, when she tried to intervene. At Maidstone Crown Court, Judge Saxby KC sentenced Salih, 19, to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years.

The court heard Salih was in Chatham to deal Class A drugs and wanted cash to pay for a taxi to travel back to London. Kent Police said a review of his phone after arrest showed he had asked an AI app for legal advice and updates about the incident. In a victim-impact statement, Gadsden said she could never forgive Salih for taking Harley's life and stealing him from his family and unborn child. Salih's defence team said he had expressed 'regret and horror' at the loss of life and never intended to kill.

Read the report

• Killer who stabbed and tried to rob man is jailedMusa Salih, from London, is jailed for life after stabbing a man seven times in Kent.BBC Kent · 4 Nov, 17:09

In this story: Musa Salih · Harley Purdue · Hazel Gadsden · Kent Police · Maidstone Crown Court · Chatham · Kent · London

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log