Men convicted of murders of Denzil McKenzie and Fahad Pramanik

Two men have today (Wednesday 7 December) been convicted of the murders of Denzil McKenzie and Fahad Pramanik following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

Ionut-Valentin Boboc, 22, of Hillfields, had admitted murdering Denzil at an earlier court hearing and was today also found guilty of murdering Fahad. 

Jacob Bebe Chers, 46, of Speedwell, denied both charges but was convicted by a jury following a month-long trial.

They will be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday 21 December.

Senior Investigating Officer DCI Mark Almond described the murders of 56-year-old Denzil, and 27-year-old Fahad, as “sadistic, senseless and cruel”.

The bodies of the two men were found at Denzil’s house in Wood Street, Bristol, after police received a 999 call from a relative of Boboc on Sunday 12 September, 2021.

Officers arrived to discover what was described in court as “a house of horror”, resulting in a murder investigation being launched by the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT). A post-mortem examination concluded both men died as a result of multiple stab injuries, with further injuries inflicted after their death.

During the investigation, detectives collated hundreds of hours of CCTV and visual material, including footage showing the two men walking to and from the house in Wood Street on the night of the murders. On leaving the house (see CCTV footage below), they were seen carrying audio equipment, jewellery and electronics, which they’d stolen from inside.

Further footage showed the two men visiting Coombe Brook nature reserve, where it was later discovered they had discarded items (see footage below), while video evidence from a car wash where Chers worked, showed him putting items in a bin and cleaning his car on the morning after the murders.

DCI Almond said: “This has been a highly distressing investigation, especially for the families of Denzil and Fahad, who’ve had to endure the terrible ordeal of hearing how their loved ones were murdered. Family liaison officers have been supporting them throughout and our thoughts are with them as they continue to come to terms with their loss.

“The offences carried out by these defendants were sadistic, senseless and cruel. They’ve shown no remorse for their actions and have put the families of the victims through further torment as a result.

“While we may never know why these defendants chose to murder two innocent men, it remains abundantly clear they both have a dangerous propensity for violence and cruelty, and our communities are a safer place with them behind bars.”