Tahla Redwan, a 20-year-old from Hackney in London, has been found not guilty of murdering Plymouth father-of-two Shane Sweet, following a fatal stabbing on Cambridge Road in November last year.
The verdict was delivered unanimously by a jury at Plymouth Crown Court after nearly five hours of deliberation.
The trial heard that Redwan admitted to stabbing Mr Sweet twice in the chest, with one of the wounds piercing his heart. However, he consistently maintained that he acted in self-defence after he was approached by Mr Sweet and another man, Ben Davis, in what he described as a frightening confrontation.
Redwan had pleaded guilty to a lesser offence of possessing a bladed article, admitting he had a kitchen knife on him at the time.
During the trial, Redwan told the jury that the two men had met him intending to buy heroin and crack cocaine. He claimed he had been recruited into drug dealing by an older man in London and pressured into continuing after trying to quit, having allegedly been told he now owed £2,000.
Redwan described how Mr Sweet approached him wielding a white plastic mallet, while Mr Davis squirted liquid from a Lucozade bottle towards his face. He said he feared the liquid might be acid and that both men intended to harm or kill him.
In what he described as a split-second reaction, Redwan stabbed Mr Sweet. He told the jury he believed he was defending himself and was still frightened when recalling the moment in court.
The jury had to consider whether Redwan genuinely believed he was in immediate danger and whether the level of force he used was reasonable in those circumstances.
Under UK law, the defence of self-defence can be used when a person uses reasonable force to protect themselves from a perceived threat.
The law does not require that the threat be real, only that the person believed it was real and responded proportionately. In this case, the jury were not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Redwan acted unlawfully, and therefore acquitted him of murder.
Following the verdict, there was a strong emotional reaction in the courtroom. A woman, believed to be Mr Sweet’s sister, shouted at Redwan before being asked to leave. His Honour Judge Linford cleared the courtroom and thanked the jury for their service before Redwan was released from the dock.
The incident led to a major police response on Cambridge Road, with officers cordoning off the area for two days while the investigation was carried out. Mr Sweet’s death shocked the local community and the trial raised questions about youth exploitation, violence linked to drugs, and the application of self-defence in criminal law.
Plymouth Plus extends its deepest condolences to Shane Sweet's family and friends during this profoundly difficult time.
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