Tony Curant, 33, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years on Friday (August 2). He stabbed Leila Young to death as their terrified kids hid in the room next door at their home on Penhill Road on January 16. On Tuesday (August 6) Judge David Aaronberg KC reduced the minimum term to 20 years under the “slip rule”, as he acknowledged he had not given Curant the appropriate reduction for his guilty plea.
The minimum term set is the least amount of time Curant will serve before he can be considered for parole. If he is ever released he will be on licence for the rest of his life. The court heard that Leila was a fun and loving mummy who was the life and soul of her family.
She had been planning on leaving abusive Curant and in texts described him as “the biggest bully she had ever met” and said their relationship was over. On the afternoon of the attack Leila left her mum a voice message saying in a quiet voice that she thinks she is going to need back up. She also sent a voice recording of her crying as Curant made unsubstantiated claims that she was cheating on him.
Leila’s mum tried to call her back but got no answer. At around 4pm Tony Curant phoned 999 and said Leila had been stabbed and was “basically dead”. When emergency services arrived Curant answered the door and told them Leila was upstairs.
They found Leila in a pool of blood in their bedroom, Ms Oakley said. She told paramedics: “Please save me. I can’t feel my body.
Tony d.