Man Receives Life Sentence for Housemate Murders

Robert Jean, who fatally attacked his two housemates in what were described as “sustained” assaults, has received a minimum prison sentence of 34 years. Jean murdered Khaja Raisoddin Mohammed, 65, described as his “father figure,” and Abdullah Mirzada, 53, at their shared residence in Chapeltown, Leeds, on 30 September 2023. The 47-year-old Jean was convicted on two counts of murder after a two-week trial at Leeds Crown Court, where he chose not to testify or provide an explanation for his actions. Mr Justice Eyre imposed two life sentences, stating that Jean had assaulted the two victims when they were “off guard” and had displayed “no remorse” for his deeds. Evidence presented in court revealed that Jean, a native of Haiti, had moved into a property on Hilltop Mount in Chapeltown in 2018, after Mr Mohammed sub-let a room to him. In the period leading up to his death, Mr Mohammed had been “pressing” Jean to secure employment to cover his rent payments. On the day the assaults occurred, the two men were in the cellar when Jean assaulted Mr Mohammed using a metal mop handle, bricks, and knives. The court was informed that Mr Mohammed, a father of two, sustained 34 distinct injuries. Jean reportedly then proceeded upstairs and stabbed Mr Mirzada in the back while he was having breakfast in the kitchen. Mr Mirzada attempted to flee but was pursued into a back alley, where he collapsed due to his wounds. During the trial, an impact statement was read in court from Mr Mirzada’s brother, who stated that after viewing CCTV footage of the assault, he could not “get the picture of his terrified face out of my mind.” He further remarked, “It was like Robert Jean was slaughtering an animal.” Upon the arrival of law enforcement, Jean asserted that the two victims had attacked him, a claim dismissed by the judge. The prosecution contended that Jean assaulted Mr Mirzada either in retaliation for “siding with” Mr Mohammed during the rent dispute or to stop him from alerting others. Nevertheless, it was noted that Jean, who had no prior convictions and was characterized as being of good character before the event, had never completely accounted for the incident. When delivering the sentence, Mr Justice Eyre stated: “You killed both men when they were in the house where you were a housemate and where they were, and were entitled to be, off their guard. It is also clear that you have no remorse for your actions. Your concern at the time and since has been solely to avoid any responsibility for what you did that day.” Detective Superintendent Marc Bowes commented: “Robert Jean brutally murdered Abdullah Mirzada and Khaja Raisoddin Mohammed in an appalling explosion of violence that was utterly senseless.” He added, “He knew both men and had lived alongside them for some time. Whatever grievance he may have had with them cannot provide any justification for what he did.”