Satanist Danyal Hussein, who killed sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman in an attempt to fulfil a contract with a demon, has been jailed for a minimum of 35 years.
Hussein, 19, was convicted in July for the double murder of Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, at a park in Wembley, north-west London, in June 2020. The sisters had had a small party with friends for Ms Henry’s birthday and while the two sisters were alone that night following the celebrations, Hussein took the two women by surprise and stabbed Ms Henry, a mother and new grandmother, eight times, and Miss Smallman 28 times. He then dragged the women’s bodies into the undergrowth and took their mobile phones, throwing them in a pond.
It was said during the trial that it was believed the younger sister fought back against her attacker, explaining the higher number of stab wounds.
The murderer never explained the motive behind the stabbings and declined to give evidence during the trial, only claiming he was not responsible for the murders. But during the investigation, police found a pact signed in his own blood in which Hussein promised the demon “the mighty king Lucifuge Rofocale” to sacrifice six women every six months in exchange for winning the lottery. Hussein was found to have an interest in Satanism and the occult.
On Thursday, Hussein was sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in prison, according to The Telegraph. Mrs Justice Whipple could not give Hussein a so-called “whole-life” sentence because he is under 21.
Whipple added that the usual minimum term for crimes of this gravity would be 37 years, but reduced it because of his age and claimed his autism spectrum disorder could “make you a person who could struggle in prison more than others”. She did, however, reject considering evidence of an undiagnosed personality disorder or psychopathy.
She said that Hussein would be considered eligible for release in 35 years “if at that point you are no longer a danger for the public”, meaning he could be back on the street while only in his fifties.
Detective Inspector Maria Green said after sentencing: “Daniel [sic] Hussein is a dangerous, arrogant and violent individual who from the outset has shown no remorse for his actions.
“The sentence handed down by the court today is a reflection of the seriousness of his crimes.”
The victims’ mother, Reverend Mina Smallman, a retired archdeacon of the Church of England, had criticised London’s Metropolitan Police Service for not sufficiently searching for her daughters after they were reported missing. It was not until Miss Smallman’s boyfriend Adam Stone went looking for her that he found the sisters in the park, two days after they went missing.
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct said that the Met’s response was “unacceptable”, with Commissioner Cressida Dick offering a formal apology.
Mrs Smallman, a former teacher, said after the conviction that she would consider campaigning against the minimum age threshold of 21 for life sentencing, saying: “We need to review that separation, when someone is an adult. I think it’s disrespectful to say that children can’t tell the difference between good and evil.”
In a tribute, the Smallman called her daughters “beautiful, beautiful girls” with hearts.
“Bibaa has left behind a daughter who has given birth to a son in the last year and I’m a great-grandmother… So life is going on. There is a legacy.
“Nicole, I think we grieve more for her because there was 20 years difference. She had 20 years less than Bibaa, but to know her was to love her.”
“So, good girls. I’m really, really proud of them,” she said.
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