The loved ones of a ‘patient, kind and loyal’ man stabbed to death by his housemate have paid tribute - as his killer is sentenced.
Beimnet Gebreab died on November 14, 2022, after his former friend Yasim Ismael stabbed him multiple times inside their address on Dilston Road, Newcastle.
The pair had fallen out about a year before the altercation, which saw Ismael arrested and later charged with the murder of 49-year-old Beimnet.
Read more: Dilston Road residents' speak of shock after man dies
Ismael appeared at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this year where he denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Yesterday (Thursday), the 39-year-old appeared back at the same court where he was given a hospital order.
Victim impact statements written by Beimnet’s wife and one of the Eritrean community leaders were read out at the hearing.
In a statement, his wife Mehret Isaac, who he met in 2000 in Eritrea, said the news of his death came as “a shock to the whole family.”
Read more: Newcastle man who fatally stabbed friend pleads guilty to manslaughter
Her statement read: “I was very distressed by what happened. I was not able to control myself with the emotions and I was feeling shaky and feeling traumatised. I could not believe what had happened. I needed to call the police to double check as I could not believe what had happened and I needed to hear it again.
“Myself and my children were in great shock and were grieving. I have not been sleeping since I received the bad news. My life changed for the worse and forever.
“I have asked myself why my husband was killed by someone and why this happened when he had done nothing wrong. Why did that person stab him, that was the big question in my mind.
"I have been thinking all of the questions about Beimnet’s death and the thoughts have been running through my mind. I have no answers to my questions yet, why did this happen?"
Read more: Yasim Ismael charged with murdering Beimnet Gebreab in Newcastle
He added: “We are still grieving and we have found it difficult to come to terms. I feel like he is still alive but when I wake up I find the reality different because he is not with us anymore.
"I feel sad because he has gone forever and we have lost a lot of things as he is not around. We remember a lot of good things from him, we remember his smile, his laugh, his good talk, his care. We lost all of these things together. We are sad as we are without him.”
One of the city’s Eritrean community leaders, Yonas Kifle, penned the following tribute on behalf of the wider community affected by Beimnet’s death.
It read: “I first met Beimnet when he moved to Newcastle upon Tyne about four years ago and he became a very good friend.
“I always found Beimnet to be a very patient, reliable, loyal friend and I often asked for his help when I organised events such as weddings or christenings for the community. I usually saw Beimnet at least once a week, we would socialise together.
“The last time I personally saw Beimnet was on November 6 and I remember he was happy and smiling as usual.
“The violence and manner of his death has been very shocking to me, he was such a kind, patient man, he was the last person I would expect to have been killed in this way.
“As a representative of the Eritrean community, I would like to say that for the majority of our community, Beimnet was a friend and to many he was as a parent, a husband and clearly a father to his adored children.
“I am in great anguish as I stand here without him, he was kind and considerate to everyone who had the opportunity to get to know him.
“He was a modest friend as well as something of a father figure to our Newcastle Community and society.
“When he was suddenly and brutally snatched from us, we felt empty and cold in his absence and this feeling of great sorrow has persisted in our hearts ever since. We haven’t even been able to close the breach that has opened up.”
Speaking after the conviction, Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Tomasz Fowler said: “Beimnet’s tragic death has undoubtedly left a large hole across the community he was such a big part of. He is greatly missed by his loved ones, that much is clear.
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“While nothing will ever bring him back, I hope today’s sentencing can serve as some form of closure for them all. It was only right we investigated what happened and brought Ismael to justice for his actions.
“Using weapons and committing violent acts are never acceptable forms of behaviour as we see all too often the tragic consequences they have.
“As a Force, we will do all we can to ensure offenders are brought before the courts to be dealt with by the criminal justice system.”
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