First custody pictures released of murdering Gosport brothers - police reaction

As reported, Aiden West, 24, of Tudor Close, Gosport, was found guilty of the murder of Levi Kent, 22, after a unanimous verdict was returned by the 11 jurors at Portsmouth Crown Court following 22 hours and 13 minutes of deliberations on Friday lunchtime. 

Aiden West was found not guilty of possessing a blade but joins his half-brother Tommy West, 18, of Fisgard Road, in being convicted of Levi’s murder. Tommy West had also previously admitted robbery and possession of a blade following the cocaine robbery on Levi. 

Verdicts were also returned on Peter West, 43, of Fisgard Road, and his step-dad Michael Figgins, 64, of St Ann's Crescent. They were both found guilty of one charge of assisting an offender and not guilty of another count of assisting an offender. 

Other people in the case include the brothers’ mother Joanne West, 45, of no fixed address, who has admitted two counts of assisting an offender. Liam Savage, 37, of Trinity Green in Gosport, has also admitted two counts of assisting an offender.

Sarah Flynn, 36, of James Close in Gosport, admitted assisting an offender. Liam Savage, 38, of Trinity Green in Gosport, admitted two counts of assisting an offender. Mark Phillips, 56, of Gilbert Close in Gosport, admitted perverting the course of justice.

During the trial, the court heard that on the evening of 23 November 2023, Aiden and Tommy West travelled to an address in James Close in a taxi paid for by Michael Figgins.

In the early hours of Friday, Tommy contacted Levi to arrange a drug deal, following which Tommy and Aiden both planned to rob Levi and take his drugs. The brothers then left the address armed with knives, but the deal did not go ahead after Levi was spooked by their behaviour. A second deal was arranged, with Tommy and Aiden meeting Levi in Keyes Road where Tommy entered Levi’s car and stabbed him.

The attack caused Levi to accelerate the car which subsequently crashed into a wall on the opposite side of the road. Levi exited the vehicle and ran, pursued by the West brothers. The prosecution case was that Tommy stabbed Levi several times – including in the chest which caused the fatal injury, and the right thigh – while Aiden kicked him in the head and searched his pockets. 

The knife used in the attack was then thrown onto the roof of the nearby medical centre, before the pair returned to James Close where they changed their clothes. During this time, Sarah Flynn put some of Tommy’s clothing in the bin.

The court heard that afterwards Tommy and Aiden’s mother, Joanne West, paid for them to take a taxi to Liam Savage’s address in Trinity Green, and that the pair were laughing and joking during the journey.

Later that morning, the attackers were picked up by Tommy’s dad Peter West and another man – Michael Figgins – and driven to various locations - enabling Tommy to discard some clothing at a friend’s address in the process.

Peter then drove Tommy to a police station at 5pm that evening so he could hand himself in. Aiden was arrested the next day. Flynn was arrested on the evening of 24 November for concealing Tommy’s clothes. 

Joanne West was arrested on 26 November for arranging for her sons to evade capture. Mark Phillips was present during her arrest and proceeded to provide a false statement to police regarding the taxi booking she made for her sons.

Savage, Figgins and Peter West were all arrested for the parts they played in allowing the West brothers to evade capture and dispose of evidence.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Gillooly, Senior Investigating Officer, said: “This is a tragic example of the irreversible pain that is caused by those who carry knives. Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Levi Kent.

“Levi was viciously set upon by Aiden & Tommy West, both of whom will now be facing a considerable length of time in prison for their crime. Both brothers planned this attack together, and had no reservations around carrying weapons and subjecting Levi to a horrific and violent death.

“In the wake of the murder, both attackers were aided by a group of allies made up of family members and friends who sought to help the brothers evade capture, destroy evidence and seek refuge.

“All of these individuals willingly participated in this crime and have rightly been convicted for the parts they played.

“I want this to be a warning to those who seek to aid others who have committed serious crime - you are not immune from prosecution, and we will make every effort to bring to justice those whose actions contribute to the immeasurable suffering caused by serious violence.”

Chief Inspector Chris Spellerberg, District Commander for Fareham & Gosport, said: “We know that Levi’s murder sent shockwaves throughout the communities of Gosport and continues to cause considerable upset to many people, including Levi’s family who have suffered a loss which is unimaginable.

“As a police service we have always sent a clear message to the public around the harm caused by knife crime – quite simply, they destroy lives and leave a horrifying and long-lasting mark on everyone it affects.  

“We are resolute in our determination to make our communities safer by removing knives from our streets. We will relentlessly pursue and seek to prosecute those who carry knives. It is not, and never will be acceptable, and my message is clear. Knife carrying will not be tolerated in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

“Drug use and supply often goes hand in hand with serious violence and possession of weapons, and this case demonstrates the very worst consequences when all of these factors combine.

“Your local neighbourhood policing teams in Gosport are proactively tackling serious violence, knife crime and drug-related violence as an absolute priority, with regular enforcement such as drugs warrants at addresses linked to supply, utilising stop and search powers and conducting vehicle checks. “

“Your teams also conduct knife arch operations to remove weapons from the streets, and routinely engage with young people at schools and colleges to warn them of the risks of carrying a knife.

“But police enforcement alone isn’t the answer. We urge our communities to keep reporting information to us about knife crime, drugs supply and people carrying weapons in your neighbourhood so we can continue to focus our efforts on disrupting those responsible, and protecting the public.

“We’re working closely with our local authority partners, our colleagues in education and health and the Violence Reduction Partnership to identify the root causes and divert young people away from criminality.

“We also need parents to talk to their children about knife crime – to make sure that they understand the terrible consequences carrying a knife can have and also how to report if they have concerns about someone they know carrying a knife.

“Levi’s death was senseless and we all owe it to all our young people in our communities to do the right thing so no one else is a victim of knife crime. We must come together as a community to tackle it.”

The defendants in the case will now be sentenced on October 15/16.