PRESS RELEASE : Increased sentence for double murderer Amrit Jhagra [December 2022]

A man who stabbed a teenager and adult to death in Doncaster will spend longer in prison after his sentence was found to be unduly lenient.

Amrit Jhagra, 19, fatally stabbed 17-year-old Janis Kozlovskis and 20-year-old Ryan Theobald in the early hours of 29 January 2022 when he became involved in an altercation between Mr Kozlovskis and his friend.

Jhagra, who was the only person at the scene to be armed, first stabbed Mr Theobald, inflicting injuries including a 13-15cm deep in the victim’s chest which penetrated the heart and lung. Mr Theobald died at the scene.

The offender then repeatedly stabbed Mr Kozlovskis, who died in hospital having suffered injuries including a 10-12 cm deep stab wound to the chest as well as wounds to the neck, armpit, abdomen and knee.

On 6 October 2022 Jhagra was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years for two counts of murder.

His sentence was then referred to the Court of Appeal as Unduly Lenient.

On 20 December 2022 the Court quashed Jhagra’s original sentence and handed down a new sentence of a life imprisonment with a minimum term of 26 years.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

“Today I wish to express my sympathies to the families of both Janis Kozlovskis and Ryan Theobald.”

“While no sentence can repair the damage caused by Amrit Jhagra’s barbaric actions, I welcome the decision of the Court to sentence him to a longer prison term which is a better reflection of his violent offending.”