The family of a murdered schoolboy have blasted the prison system after their son’s killer was put back behind bars after “boasting” about the crime in a rap music video.
Thug Jake Fahri, then 19, was handed a life sentence in 2009 with a minimum term of 14 years for killing 16-year-old Jimmy Mizen by throwing an oven dish at him.
After a Sun investigation revealed that Fahri, now 35, celebrated his crime during a music video. He performed under the street name TEN and his songs were played on the BBC.
Fahri’s lyrics included the lines: “Stuck it on a man and watched him melt like Ben and Jerry’s. Sharpen up my blade I’ve got to keep those necessary.
“Stay alert and kept it ready, any corner could be deadly. Judge took a look at me, before the trial even started he already knows he’s gonna throw the book at me.”
Jimmy’s 72-year-old mum Margaret told the Sun: “They’re not songs. Are they? They’re words. The words in them, they’re actually dreadful and if it’s a way of making a living, they should be ashamed of themselves.“
“We and my family will always spread the same message, and that’s one of forgiveness, peace and hope. And I use those words because they’re really important to me, and that’s something we’re going to continue through our charity.”
Fahri killed Jimmy by hurling the dish at Jimmy, severing blood vessels in the boy’s neck in a south London bakery on May 10 2008.
Onlookers reported seeing Fahri sauntering from the shop with a smile.
Barry Mizen, Jimmy’s father, told the PA news agency: “There’s no gloating from us whatsoever… it’s a sad, sad old business.
“I suppose it just leads us on to bigger questions about prison, about time served in prison.”
He noted that Fahri has served 15 years, “done all the courses you’re supposed to do”, and been backed by a parole board.
“I think we’ve got to ask ourselves, exactly what are we trying to achieve with prison? Is it just punishment? It can’t be because it serves nobody.
“Rehabilitation? Absolutely, but is it actually working? And how can we actually be sure? We probably can’t”.
He added: “We have visited prisons over the years, we have spoken to convicted murderers, and we have seen remorse… unfortunately that doesn’t seem to go in this particular case, which is sad for him, sad for his family.”
He added: “If you put an angry, violent person in prison and then they come out angry and violent, what on earth have you done? In essence, you’ve made it worse, not better”.
A spokesperson for the Probation Service said: “Our thoughts are with Jimmy Mizen’s family who deserve better than to see their son’s murderer shamelessly boasting about his violent crime.
“All offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions. As this case shows, we will recall them to prison if they break the rules.”
After the news broke about the content of TEN’s lyrics, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer voiced concern about the “the significant additional stress that this will have caused to the family”, his official spokesman said.
He added: “When it comes to the BBC, obviously they are independent of government, they make their own editorial decisions.
“But the BBC, I think the public would rightly expect given their unique responsibilities to the public, that they would take complaints and any allegations like these seriously.”
The BBC said in a statement on Thursday: “This individual does not feature on any BBC playlists, we have never played – as we pointed out to the Sun – the lyrics they have printed.
“He’s had two other tracks played twice. 1Xtra has no further plans to play his music, we were not aware of his background and we in no way condone his actions.”
