A man who knifed to death a devoted family man after lying in wait for him in a dark car park has been jailed for life.
Builder Christopher Small, 48, stabbed father-of-one David Nunney as he got out of a taxi in Roger Stone Court, Coombe Road, Neasden, on April 26.
Despite the Old Bailey conviction today, police are still mystified as to what motivated Small to attack the 44-year-old engineer, of Deanscroft Avenue, Kingsbury.
Officers were called to the incident at 11.30pm and rushed Mr Nunney to Northwick Park Hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.
The victim, who had been out with friends before the chilling murder, suffered a stab wound to the chest and had other injuries including cuts to the back and arms and a fractured nose.
Small was arrested on the night of the murder along with his 40-year-old girlfriend, but she was later released.
Detectives confirmed Mr Nunney, who was born and bred in Brent and described by friends as the nicest bloke ever, knew the woman, but have never been able to ascertain why he went to the car park that evening .
In a family impact statement read at court, Mr Nunney's father, Anthony, said: "No words can convey the deep felt loss that my wife and family feel at losing a son, a father, a partner, uncle and friend to so many people, particularly in such a vicious, cowardly, tragic manner.
"Words have to be found to explain the void that has been left.
"His 10-year-old son has been left without a father, a devoted father who doted on his son.
"All that contact and support has been swept away from him, at a vulnerable time in his young life."
Small, of Shepperton, Middlesex was sentenced this morning and will serve a minimum of 15 years.
DI Tim Duffield, from the Met's Homicide and Serious Crime Command unit, said:"This was an unprovoked attack on a man who had no opportunity to defend himself.
"David was a dutiful person who had worked hard to provide a good life for his young son. I hope the conviction provides some small measure of solace for his family."
