Jake Fahri recommended for open prison after Jimmy Mizen’s murder

Jake Fahri’s Life Sentence and Recent Developments

Jake Fahri, then 19, received a life sentence in 2009 with a minimum term of 14 years for killing schoolboy Jimmy Mizen by throwing an oven dish at him. The glass dish shattered and severed blood vessels in 16-year-old Jimmy’s neck at the Three Cooks Bakery in Burnt Ash Hill, Lee, on May 10, 2008.

Witnesses reported seeing Fahri leaving the shop with a smile. Fahri, who studied at Crown Woods School in Eltham, was released on licence in June 2023. However, he was recalled in January 2025 after the Ministry of Justice reported that The Sun newspaper was publishing a story about him producing drill music that included details about the murder.

The newspaper claimed that Fahri is the masked drill artist Ten, who was featured on BBC 1Xtra. In one of his tracks available on Spotify and YouTube, the balaclava-clad rapper appeared to reference Jimmy’s death.

Parole Board Decision Summary

A Parole Board decision summary stated that Fahri gave evidence disputing that the music was about his own life. However, it noted that since his recall, he admitted he was the artist known as Ten in the videos. The panel was not convinced that he provided an open and honest account of his music. They found that his failure to disclose the music work to his probation officer was a breach of his licence.

The panel also identified several other licence breaches. Fahri failed to disclose his use of the name Ten to Probation, breached his exclusion zone multiple times, and stayed overnight at an unapproved address.

The summary mentioned that Fahri claimed he was unaware of the restrictions and that he breached his licence conditions because no one had reviewed them with him. However, the panel found this untrue based on evidence from Fahri’s probation officer.

Hearing and Recommendations

During the oral hearing on December 16, Fahri and professional witnesses supported his re-release from prison. This was opposed by the Justice Secretary, who was represented at the proceedings. The Parole Board’s decision indicated that the panel was not satisfied that his release would be safe for public protection.

The panel noted, “The panel was mindful of the witnesses supporting release but it had less confidence than they did in the likelihood of Mr Fahri complying with the release plan.” They determined that Fahri needed to reflect on his attitude, thinking, and behaviour to better understand himself, including why he failed to be open and honest with the professionals managing his case.

The panel considered that this reflection could be achieved in an open prison and recommended that Fahri should be progressed in this way. Open prisons have minimal security and allow eligible prisoners to spend most of their day out of prison on licence, for work or education.

Justice Secretary David Lammy will decide whether to accept this recommendation for Fahri.