Life Sentence for Fatal Stabbing of Cherished Palace Gardener
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 27 years for the murder of a Kensington Palace gardener. Elyas Moussa, of no fixed address, stabbed Recorda Davey-Ann Clarke, known as Ricardo to loved ones, in a violent confrontation in Willesden Green, north-west London.
The fatal incident occurred in the early hours of 28 December last year, while Mr Clarke, 35, was out celebrating his girlfriend's birthday. Following the attack, a guilt-ridden Moussa handed himself in to police from a phone box.
A Promising Life Cut Short in a Night of Violence
The Old Bailey heard during a two-week trial that the evening began with what was described as 'friendly chit chat' between Mr Clarke, his partner, and Moussa's group. The atmosphere soured after Mr Clarke turned Moussa's baseball cap backwards, an act Moussa claimed was done without his permission.
Judge Usha Karu told Moussa: 'The fact is that when you went back to Linacre Road you were armed and you knew it. You instigated the violence there by chasing him.' She added that Mr Clarke posed no danger at the time he was attacked, making him 'vulnerable to attack by you.'
The court was told Mr Clarke had previously been involved in a separate argument that night where a knife was produced, leading him to arm himself with bottles. He later flagged down a police car to report that knife. The fatal encounter with Moussa happened afterwards.
A Beloved Father and Talented Gardener
In moving victim personal statements read to the court, Mr Clarke was described as a devoted family man and a talented gardener who took immense pride in his work. Judge Karu revealed he had beaten 500 other applicants to secure a gardening apprenticeship at Kensington Palace.
Lori-Jane Forrest, the mother of his two children, said: 'I was Ricardo's best friend, love of his life and even his enemy at times but he was my person. He was my support system.' She said her children's lives had been 'destroyed' and their home 'torn apart' by Moussa's actions.
More than ten personal statements from his brother, sister, nieces, cousins, and friends painted a picture of a fun-loving, caring, and resilient man who was a central part of a close-knit family.
The Fatal Confrontation and Aftermath
The confrontation escalated after Moussa mocked Mr Clarke about not speaking Spanish. Moussa threw the first punch, and Mr Clarke retaliated by hitting him on the head with a bottle. After a temporary lull, Moussa went looking for Mr Clarke, leading to another chase where bottles were thrown.
Despite the altercation ending again, Moussa returned to Linacre Road, ostensibly to look for lost house keys. Judge Karu said he was instead 'intent upon confronting Ricardo Clarke and attacking him with your knife.'
After the stabbing, Moussa fled. He returned to the police cordon at 7am to ask if someone had died, before calling 999 from a phone box miles away that evening to hand himself in. Paramedics performed open heart surgery in the ambulance, but Mr Clarke was pronounced dead at 5.29am from a 6.5cm deep wound to his heart.
Moussa, who has previous convictions for assault and possessing bladed articles, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife and was convicted of murder earlier this month. His defence claimed he 'was not looking for trouble' that night. The judge accepted the murder was not premeditated but handed him a concurrent 12-month sentence for the knife offence.
