St George man jailed for Jamel Powell murder

A man from St George and his nephew have been found guilty of stabbing another man to death in a Bristol nightclub and jailed for life.

Eroll Anderson, 56, of Two Mile Hill, Bristol, and Ian Power, 40, of Kiln Close, Gloucester have been convicted of the murder of 37-year-old Jamel Powell following a three-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.

Mr Powell, known as Jama to his friends and family, died in hospital hours after being repeatedly stabbed on the dancefloor of the Blue Mountain club during the early hours of 30 December last year.

Power was sentenced to a minimum term of 27 years while Anderson was told he'll spend at least 21 years behind bars.

The court heard the murder was pre-mediated and Power had travelled to the Stokes Croft club from his Gloucester home to meet up with Anderson before carrying out the knife attack.

Power then fled back to Gloucester before handing himself in to police admitting he had been involved in a fight, while Anderson was arrested in Bristol later the same day.

The pair refused to answer police questions but were subsequently charged with murder.

Their conviction follows a comprehensive investigation by Avon and Somerset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team which provided jurors with a complete narrative of the incident using a series of CCTV clips, detailed phone records and witness statements and sketches.

Forensic analysis of the clothing worn by both Power and Anderson also proved decisive – with Mr Powell’s blood found on a number of items worn by the pair.

The jury also concluded that a friend of both defendants was guilty of assisting them in attempting to cover up their crime. Juliette Campbell, 42, of Felix Road, Bristol, blocked members of the public from leaving the club which aided Power's and Anderson's escape, persuaded a woman not to call 999 and removed the two knives used in the murder from the scene. She also deliberately tried to mislead a police officer when spoken to outside the club.

Campbell will be sentenced at the same court on Monday (23 July).

Detective Chief Inspector James Riccio said: “The motive for this murder lies in a historic feud which Power could simply not let go of.

“Jama was out enjoying the festive period when he was brutally set upon by Power and his uncle in a frenzied knife attack.

“I’d like to pay tribute to the hard work and determination shown by all the officers and staff involved in the investigation who put together all the pieces of the jigsaw needed to prove conclusively to the jury that Power and Anderson were responsible.

“The incident happened in a very public place in front of a significant number of people and I’d also like to thank the brave witnesses who gave evidence in this trial for their crucial input.

“My thoughts are with Jama’s family and close friends who’ve had to come to terms with the life-changing impact of this appalling crime. I hope these successful convictions will help them move forward with their lives.”