A man who carried out a brutal sustained attack on a victim he had only known for a few hours, today (Friday November 8) received a life sentence for his murder.

Adrian Martino Wright, 53, must serve at least 18 years and four months behind bars before being eligible for consideration for parole, for the killing of Allen Adeyemi Tejan at a house where both were visiting, in Sunderland, earlier this year.

Mr Tejan, 40, from Bermondsey, south London, was repeatedly struck with an extendable baton by Wright as he lay in bed at the house in Lily Street, in the Millfield area of the city, at about 8am on April 24.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that despite the intervention of the female householder and another man, who had spent the night in the adjoining room, Wright continued to launch blows on Mr Tejan, as well as attempting to suffocate him with a pillow.

(Image: Northumbria Police) Despite the efforts of the others in the house, then paramedics and an air ambulance doctor, performing CPR on the victim, he was confirmed dead at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary in the early hours the following morning having suffered multiple brain injuries and skull fractures.

Jamie Hill KC, prosecuting, said at one point during the attack Wright told the woman and the other man that they would be "next", and, when it ended, with Mr Tejan lying unconscious in bed, the killer told the other two present that the three of them would have to think of a way of disposing of his body.

But the female resident then ran outside and rang for the police.

Wright fled the house and disposed of his blood-soaked gloves and T-shirt, but when he returned to the vicinity of the police cordon around the house, later that morning, seeking to retrieve his car, he was recognised as the suspect and arrested.

Despite his initial claim to police that Mr Tejan was the aggressor, he later accepted attacking him and, after a medical report confirmed he was fit to plead, he admitted the charge of murder at a hearing at the court in September.

Mr Hill said both the victim and his killer lived in the London area but were in Sunderland visiting the home of a woman, known by mutual friends, having come north separately seeking work.

(Image: Northumbria Police) Wright, who was being investigated for an alleged domestic assault in London at the time, was said to have no previous convictions.

Jamaican-born, he came to England aged 14, but he was deported in 2002, at the age of 29, having "over-stayed", and then returned to this country in 2004.

Following marriage he worked as a cleaner in London.

On the night preceding the killing he arrived at the house in Lily Street with a friend at about 9pm and drank about two bottles of spirits.

Although Mr Hill said all present at the house were drinking and generally socialising amicably with each other, at one stage there was some "tension", with Wright lecturing Mr Tejan about how to lead his life and accusing him of "disrespecting" him, by ignoring him, while the victim danced to music.

After all retired to bed by 2am, with Wright sleeping downstairs on the sofa, he crept upstairs at about 8am and entered Mr Tejan's bedroom, by then wearing gloves and armed with the baton he had found on top of a kitchen cupboard.

When the female householder went in to see what Wright was doing, he put his finger to his lips and then set about the attack on the sleeping victim, who vainly tried to resist, suffering a number of defence injuries as he did so.

Victim statements were read to the court by Mr Tejan's mother, the older two of his three daughters and other family members.

Originally from Sierra Leone in west Africa, Mr Tejan lived in Bermondsey, south London, but had come to Sunderland ten days earlier seeking work.

(Image: Northumbria Police) He had been staying with a friend at the home of the woman in Sunderland during that time.

Passing sentence today, The Recorder of Newcastle, Judge Paul Sloan, said there was a "degree of pre-meditation" prior to the sustained attack, during which the defendant's demeanour was described as, "calm and intent".

Judge Sloan told Wright he was sentencing him, "on the basis you intended to kill Mr Tejan".

Imposing the life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years and four months before he can by considered for release by the Parole Board, the judge said 196 days served on remand will come off the sentence.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Matt Steel, the Senior Investigating Officer in the case, said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Allen at what remains a difficult time.

“Our hope is that now his killer has been jailed they can take some degree of closure from this horrendous ordeal.”

Detective Chief Inspector Steel added: “This was a brutal and senseless murder, and I am pleased that Wright will now serve a lengthy custodial sentence.

“He attempted to escape justice by fleeing the scene and discarding his clothes, but the brilliant work of the investigation team left him with no choice but to accept responsibility for his actions at court.

“There is absolutely no justification for the course of events which has robbed Allen’s loved ones of a beloved son and friend.

“Violence has no place in our communities and destroys lives, and as a force we will continue to do everything within our power to reduce this type of offending.” 

Following today’s sentencing, Allen’s mother Adisatu Florisa Sulaiman shared the following statement.

“At my age, I was looking forward to my son getting married, settling down, and him giving me a befitting send-off, not me burying him.

“The pain of his passing has left me heartbroken and it will stay with me until the last day of my life.

“The murderer has left a big vacuum in our lives, it is just unbelievable and I am too heartbroken to digest what I am going through.

“I still live in the hope that this episode is one long nightmare that I will wake up from one day.

“April 24 is the biggest shock in my life as I was not able to spend time with and say a proper goodbye.

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He was snatched away without any notice.

“This murder came from nowhere and destroyed my son’s precious life within a few minutes, all for what?

“What reason can justify the killing of my only son?”