Teenager sentenced to life imprisonment for murder of Ronnie Wrighting in Milton Keynes

Zachary Lemonnier, of Combes Crescent, Leadenhall, Milton Keynes, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years at Luton Crown Court yesterday.

He was convicted on Monday of the murder of 29-year-old Ronnie Wrighting by unanimous jury following a three week trial.

Robert Williams, aged 18, of Tallis Lane, Browns Wood, Milton Keynes, was convicted of manslaughter on Monday in connection with the same incident. He was acquitted of murder.

Yesterday he was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

Lemonnier was also convicted of being in possession of a bladed article in a public place, for which he was sentenced to one-and-a-half year’s imprisonment to run concurrently.

Williams was convicted of possession of an offensive weapon, at the same court hearing, and was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment to run concurrently.

Both were acquitted of robbery against Mr Wrighting.

Speaking following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Dejan Avramovic, of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime unit, said: “This escalation and level of violence was unnecessary and resulted in the loss of Mr Wrighting’s life, leaving his family to deal with the terrible impact of this, and also the imprisonment of two young men whose lives will be forever altered as a result of the callous and brutal decisions they made that night.

“I would like to commend the witnesses who gave evidence in this case – their information was vital and some of them gave evidence which is distressing in its nature and will have a long-lasting impact upon their lives.

“Witness to this type of violence are often frightened as a result of what they have seen and fearful of repercussions, but their strength and courage is essential to bring offenders to justice and address the rise in knife violence that has been reported on nationally over the last 12 months.

“Thames Valley Police is committed to working with witnesses to ensure that they have confidence to come forward and play their role in tackling this menace.

“Throughout the trial, Ronnie’s family heard graphic details of the assault which resulted in their loved one’s death.

“They have shown dignity throughout what is an incredibly difficult process and while no conviction or sentence can ever take away the pain that they feel, I hope that this will allow them to move forward knowing that the two men who took Ronnie from them have been held to account for their actions.”