STRAWBERRY HILL STATION MURDERER JAILED FOR LIFE
Text provided by British Transport Police:
A remorseless killer who stabbed an accounting student to death on the tracks at Strawberry Hill station has been jailed for life.
The sentence follows an extensive investigation led by British Transport Police (BTP) detectives from its Major, Serious and Organised Crime (MSOC) team.
Dino Donaldson, 21, and of Caxton Road, Ealing, was found guilty of murder on 14 April following a trial at the Old Bailey.
He returned to the same court on 6 November where he was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve a minimum term of 23 years.
Jurors heard that two groups of young men arranged a deal of £50 for 10 MDMA tablets to be exchanged at the West London station on the evening of 8 January 2024.
Donaldson and three others arrived first just after 10pm, followed by 21-year-old Anojan Gnaneswaran around an hour later.
There was a disagreement between the two parties and Anojan called his brother, who then attended the station with two others.
The argument continued on the station platform before Donaldson became increasingly aggressive and pulled a long knife out of his waistband.
He chased the group and caught up with Anojan on the railway tracks where he stabbed him in the chest, abdomen and thigh.
Anojan’s brother dialled 999 and began CPR before paramedics arrived to take over. Despite their life-saving efforts, Anojan’s injuries were so severe that he sadly passed away at the scene.
BTP detectives launched an urgent investigation and tracked Donaldson’s movements after the attack using CCTV as he fled through Twickenham to Kingston Upon Thames.
He then boarded the N87 night bus and its on-board camera captured him laughing and smiling less than an hour after Anojan was pronounced dead.
BTP’s search team found the knife and a black glove in a tree at the murder scene.
An arrest warrant was executed at Donaldson’s home address on 11 January 2024 where he was found hiding inside a cupboard.
BTP Detective Chief Inspector Paul Attwell said: “What started as an argument over a drug deal ended in a young man’s future being stolen from him by a remorseless criminal.
“Donaldson showed his true colours as a coward by arming himself with a knife that night. His cowardice has continued by never accepting responsibility and admitting his crime – thankfully the jury saw through his lies.
“He will live the rest of his life knowing he has taken someone else’s, and he deserves every minute of his 23-year minimum sentence.
“Anojan’s family have been left with an unfillable void in their lives after their talented son and brother was taken from them in the most brutal circumstances imaginable.
“I want to pay tribute to them all, for the strength, dignity and patience they’ve shown throughout this case.”
Anojan’s family previously paid tribute to their “much-loved son and brother”.
They said: “Anojan was in his third year at university studying accounting and finance, and he was so excited for his future.
“He excelled at all sports and had achieved first-dan black belt in karate – he competed in the World and European championships in karate, and we will all miss him so much.”