Teen jailed for manslaughter in Bedford bus station stabbing retrial
A teenager who admitted to manslaughter during his retrial for the fatal stabbing of Thomas Taylor has been jailed for more than eight years.
Ahmed Adam, now 20, was one of five teenagers tried last summer for the murder of 17-year-old Thomas, who died following a brutal attack outside Bedford bus station on January 8, 2025.
The attack was carried out in retaliation to an assault on 18-year-old Riaz Miah days earlier by someone linked to Thomas.
The violence unfolded after Adam spotted Thomas and two others at around 5.50pm in Greenhill Street. He called out to his mates and then initiated a confrontation.
Seconds later, 19-year-old Bennett Ndenkeh pulled out a knife and stabbed Thomas.
Ndenkeh, now 20, was convicted of murder last year and Miah, now 19, was convicted of manslaughter, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict for Adam.
However, a week into his retrial in February, Adam pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his role in the fatal incident.
Today (Tuesday), he was sentenced to six years and eight months for manslaughter. He was also sentenced to one year and eight months, to run consecutively, for conspiracy to rob in connection with a robbery in Bedford in November 2025.
Victim impact statements were read to the court on behalf of Thomas’ family.
Thomas’s grandmother said: “Thomas had a life ahead of him. He had a lifetime of memories still left to make. That was all taken away in moments of senseless violence.
“The ripple effect of what was done to him has destroyed so many lives. Knife crime does not end with the victim. It spreads through an entire family. Everyone feels it, we miss Thomas so much.”
Thomas’s aunt said: “Thomas was so much more than the tragedy that took him; he was a kind, funny and loyal young man with his whole future ahead of him. We refuse to let Thomas be remembered only for how he died.
“We are incredibly proud to have opened a community hub named in Thomas’s honour at his former school, King’s Oak Primary. This hub is now a safe space for children and families to find the support they need – a testament to the kind, caring person Thomas was.”
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Stott, who led the investigation, said: “Today’s sentence marks the conclusion of a long and complex process to secure justice for Tom and his loved ones.
“It has required determination and perseverance from everyone involved, including Tom’s family, who have also shown extraordinary strength and dignity throughout.
“This case remains a reminder of the devastation caused by knife crime – and how you do not have to be the person holding the weapon to face life-changing consequences.”