Post Office workers handed ‘zombie’ sword to schoolboy who killed classmate hours later

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Post Office staff failed to check Prabjeet Veadhesa’s ID when he collected the deadly parcel – and apparently assessed the 16-year-old to be over 25 simply by looking at him

Bungling Post Office workers handed over a “zombie” sword to a schoolboy who used it to murder a classmate hours later.

Staff failed to check Prabjeet Veadhesa’s ID when he collected the deadly parcel, which had been sent as an Age Verified item from a firm run by a former star of TV’s Junior Apprentice.

Instead, counter staff apparently assessed 16-year-old Veadhesa to be over 25 simply by looking at him.

Hours later he and accomplice Sukhman Shergill murdered Ronan Kanda, 16, in Wolverhampton, West Mids, after mistaking him for another teenager they were in dispute with – Veadhesa dealing the fatal blows.

It emerged during the trial that Veadhesa had bought 26 knives and swords from DNA Leisure in the previous six months using his mother’s ID. He told the court he sold them on to fellow teens to “make money”.

After Veadhesa and Shergill got life sentences earlier this month, the family of tragic Ronan called for the post office in Walsall to be closed.

“They just handed my son’s killer the murder weapon,” said mum Pooja.

“He was a teenage boy, not an adult. How can kids be buying these weapons so easily? I want that Post Office to be shut down.”

Veadhesa ordered the sword online from Luton-based DNA Leisure, run by Adam Eliaz. The 30-year-old was a contestant in the 2010 series of BBC show Junior Apprentice and was praised by Lord Sugar for his “enthusiasm”.

Mr Eliaz said his firm – which claims the swords are “like paintings” and also sells goods including knives and crossbows – paid for a Royal Mail Age Verification delivery.

He insisted: “We comply with expert legal advice regarding our methods of sale. We perform age checks before orders are shipped and require the same at the point of delivery by our courier.

“If age verification is not performed at the time of delivery that is outside of our control.”

Royal Mail said: “This is a horrific tragedy. The recipient requested to collect from their local Post Office. For age verified products, the Post Office is required to ‘Challenge 25’ and if the person looks under 25, check photo ID before the parcel is handed over.

“It appears on this occasion the local Post Office did follow the ‘Challenge 25’ process but must have incorrectly assessed the person collecting the parcel looked over 25. We are following up with the Post Office to investigate.”

The Post Office said its branch in Walsall “was operated by a former retail partner” at the time of the killing, adding: “An internal review involving the new retail operator is taking place.”

CCTV footage of Veadhesa leaving the Post Office with the package was shown in his Wolverhampton crown court trial. Hours later, he sneaked up on aspiring lawyer Ronan, who was listening to music on headphones, and stabbed him yards from his home.

Veadhesa and Shergill, both now 17, had mistaken him for someone else.

DNA Leisure defended its right to sell zombie knives and swords, even comparing them with paintings. In a statement, it said: “We understand people are calling for larger knives and swords to be banned. We feel it’s important to point out the purpose of these types of knives are essentially the same as paintings.

“For many people they’re collectable, it’s a hobby that tens of thousands of people do safely and legally. It’s already illegal to take most knives outside your home so further banning these types will have no discernible effect.

“We always say, it’s not a knife which makes a person a criminal – it’s a criminal that turns a knife into a weapon. In this instance, we fulfilled our obligations to check and perform due diligence. Sadly, we are not able to prevent someone stealing an identity document from their parents.”

But Pooja, 46, said: “They sold the sword to my son’s killer and have taken no responsibility. They are part of this and have done wrong.”

Veadhesa, of Walsall, was told he must serve at least 18 years and Shergill, of Willenhall, 16 years.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Choudhury slammed the “national scourge of knife crime” and the “ease with which lethal weapons can be obtained”.

He said: “It is disturbing a 16-year-old could so easily purchase such items online. Businesses engaged in this trade should reflect on their facilitation of knife crime.”

Pooja and Ronan’s sister Nikita, 22, who are dedicating their lives to campaigning against knife crime, will launch a petition next week calling on the Government to do more to tackle the crisis.

They want to meet PM Rishi Sunak to appeal to him to toughen laws.