What happened to Damilola Taylor’s killers and where are they now? Details explored as boy's father, Richard Taylor dies aged 75

Well-known campaigner and father of Damilola Taylor, Richard Taylor, passed away on March 23, 2024. He gained recognition for establishing a trust in the memory of his son. Richard's death was announced by his family. He was 75.

The statement from his family reads, in part, that he was at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at the time of his death and was struggling with prostate cancer for a long time. Damilola Taylor Trust additionally posted a tribute through X (Twitter) with a picture of Richard holding a photo of Damilola.

Damilola was 10 years old at the time of his death, and he was attacked with broken glass in the leg in November 2000 by two boys named Danny and Ricky Preddie, who were revealed to be brothers. The boys were 13 and 12 years old, respectively, at the time of the incident. They were sentenced to serve eight years in youth custody.

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Damilola Taylor's killers have been involved in other legal issues: Whereabouts and other details explained

Damilola Taylor was reportedly returning home from a local library when he was stabbed. He was left injured in a stairwell in Peckham, south-east London, near his residence, and although an investigation was launched, the killers were identified and sentenced only after three trials.

As mentioned earlier, brothers Danny and Ricky Preddie were sentenced on charges of manslaughter in 2006 for eight years. The latter was released in four years on certain conditions but was imprisoned again after he failed to follow the rules. The problem increased after he was involved in a dispute with another inmate.

Ricky was released two more times in 2012 and was taken into custody again for breaking the rules of parole and handling stolen goods. In 2013, he eventually managed to walk out of prison.

On the other hand, Danny did not have any other record of being involved in any legal trouble after his release in 2011. However, Ricky's troubles did not stop so soon, and around seven years after his release in 2020, he hit a cop in North London.

In a similar incident in 2019 involving a female police officer, Ricky reversed his vehicle on a pavement when the cop came on his way. The officer was injured in the neck and back but managed to survive, and Ricky was arrested by the authorities in the next three days.

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Damilola Taylor's family shifted to Britain before his death

Damilola Taylor spent his childhood in Lagos, Nigeria, and his family members also included a sister named Gbemi. The entire family arrived in Britain for his sister's treatment, who was suffering from epilepsy. He was a student at Wisdom Montessori School.

Damilola Taylor died ten days before his 11th birthday. He was spotted coming out of the local library before being stabbed. The incident happened after 15 minutes, and he rushed towards a stairwell in an injured condition. While the brothers Danny and Ricky Preddie were sentenced, they were revealed to be members of a gang called the Young Peckham Boys.

After Damilola's death, his family continued to get Gbemi treated for her condition. His father, Richard, served in the Nigerian civil service for a long time. Richard's wife and Damilola's mother, Gloria, passed away from a heart attack in 2008.