Murderer jailed for 'brutal' attack on homeless man in Canterbury car park

A homeless man has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of 19 years, for brutally beating a fellow rough sleeper in a car park on Easter Sunday last year, leaving him for dead in his own sleeping bag.

Guy Malbec, who had trained as a barrister, died of multiple injuries after being attacked with a laptop and a wooden hammer in an apparent dispute over drugs.

Sobantu Sibanda was found guilty in November of the murder of Mr Malbec, 51, who had been staying in a car park in Castle Street, Canterbury, Kent.

During the afternoon of Monday 10 April 2023, Kent Police was called to the car park after it was reported that a man had been fatally assaulted.

Mr Malbec's body was found inside a sleeping bag in a tent on the car park's lower ground floor.

A post-mortem examination confirmed he had died through blunt force trauma injuries to his head, face and torso.

CCTV footage captured a series of assaults carried out intermittently over around an hour by a man who was later identified as Sibanda.

In his evidence during the trial, Sibanda said that he had believed Mr Malbec had stolen drugs from his tent in the car park, where he was also living.

Sibanda had become violent and used the victim’s own possessions, including a laptop and a wooden gavel, to beat him in an assault which lasted around an hour.

Mr Malbec was left with severe head and facial injuries, broken ribs and a significant brain injury following the attack, in which a hammer and laptop were used.

The victim’s blood was found on both items, along with Sibanda’s DNA.

Sibanda and three other men, Keith Hall, Gavin Houghton and Airidas Sakalauskas, were witnessed at the scene following the attack, searching through the victim's property.

They all knew the victim through a local charity that helps those who are homeless.

Personal items belonging to Mr Malbec were destroyed and other items were taken, including his bank card and items of sentimental value such as a number of pink sapphires and a silver pill box.

Mr Malbec’s phone was also taken, meaning he could not call 999.

All four men left the scene while the victim was still alive.

Sibanda and the others returned to the scene during the day, removing the victim’s tent, bloodstained items and clearing the area. These items were later found in council bins. 

Mr Malbec’s body was then left in Sibanda’s tent until he was found by police.

In court, all four men admitted perverting the course of justice through their actions following the assault and, during the hearing, Sibanda pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Keith Hall, 51, of Athelstan Road, Canterbury was sentenced to two years in prison.

Gavin Houghton, 50, of Old Dover Road, Canterbury was sentenced to 40 months in prison.

Airidas Sakalauskas, 22, of Old Dover Road, Canterbury was sentenced to 40 months in prison.

Mr Malbec had a significant leg injury and needed to use a walking frame, stick or wheelchair to get around.

He had qualified as a barrister in 1998, but never practised and moved abroad, only returning to the UK in December 2022, at which point he became homeless.

Dr Stephen Potts, Guy Malbec's brother-in-law, said: "The judge described him very well in his closing remarks, he was an intelligent man, articulate, well-educated, well-travelled.

"He had a life of difficulty from his 20s onwards, which meant that he didn't fulfil his potential, although the potential was always there until it was so brutally ended in April of last year.

"He had a particularly difficult life in the last few years but I don't want to think too much about the difficulties he had as the things that he brought to other people, to his parents, his sister, his wife and the things he was interested in and good at.

"Those are the things we want to try to remember about him rather than the manner of his death."

• Dr Stephen Potts, Guy Malbec's brother-in-law

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Kathleen Way from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: "This was a brutal, prolonged attack on Mr Malbec, who had previously had such a promising life ahead of him, but whose poor health had led to him living on the streets in Canterbury. 

"He was vulnerable and had no way to defend himself when he was subjected to such a vicious attack.

"Sibanda left him to die and disposed of his property, giving no thought to his victim until he was later arrested. He acted callously and without remorse. 

"Today marks a closure to the investigation of how a man’s life was cut tragically short.  These four men have now been sentenced for their roles in this heinous incident. 

"Mr Malbec’s killer has been locked up and cannot pose a risk to anyone else.  I would like to thank Mr. Malbec’s family for their assistance during the investigation."

• Detective Chief Inspector Kathleen Way, Senior investigating officer, Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate

Rachael Savage from CPS South East said: "This was a horrendous and brutal attack, sustained over about an hour, on a man completely unable to defend himself. 

"Tragically, the evidence shows that Mr. Malbec was still alive after the group left him for dead and may have survived for a period of time.

"When Sibanda, Sakalauskas and Houghton did eventually return to the crime scene many hours later, instead of calling the emergency services, they cleared up the area to try and remove any trace that they had been there." 

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...