Life term for Belmarsh prisoner who murdered cell mate

A prisoner who killed a man he shared a cell with at HMP Belmarsh has been jailed.

Stevie Hilden, 31, of no fixed address, was sentenced to life imprisonment at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday. He will serve a minimum of 17 years before being eligible for parole.

He was found guilty at the same court on May 16 of the murder of 36-year-old Sundeep Singh Ghuman.

Shortly before 5.30pm on February 18, 2020, prison officers were alerted to a disturbance inside a locked cell. The officers entered the cell and found Sundeep had suffered serious injuries.

They carried out first aid and called emergency services. Sundeep was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition and died the following day. Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command began a murder investigation.

A post-mortem examination found Sundeep had died from a traumatic head injury caused by a blunt object. He had also suffered extensive bruising to other parts of his body.

It is believed that Hilden used a wooden table leg that had been broken from a table inside the cell to carry out the attack.

Hilden was arrested and interviewed about the incident. He refused to answer any questions and didn’t provide an explanation to police during the interview about his involvement in the attack or how Sundeep came to suffer his injuries.

As a result of the overwhelming evidence against him, including forensic evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised officers to charge Hilden with murder.

Detective Inspector Karen Bangs, the investigating officer, said: “Sundeep suffered a sustained attack that left him seriously injured and ultimately resulted in his death. My thoughts remain with his family as they continue to come to terms with their loss.

“This was a complex investigation in a challenging environment and I would like to thank the prison authorities for their support throughout the process.

“Hilden is a dangerous offender and he will now spend a considerable time in a high-security prison.”

Sundeep’s mother, Harpal Ghuman, said: “My son was killed in a brutal and merciless way. To think of the pain and suffering Sandeep had to go through makes me very upset.

“Mr Hilden has shown no remorse for his actions. I do not want anyone else to go through the pain and loss that I have had.

“I have listened to all the evidence at court and wish to thank the prison officers, police officers and barristers for bringing justice for my son.”

Pictured top: Hilden, who killed cell mate Sundeep Singh Ghuman (Picture: Met Police)