Carjacking killer who stabbed driver to death for his £20k Audi freed after deportation to Jamaica

A British man who killed a driver in Britain's first carjacking murder has been freed after being deported to Jamaica. Dwaine Williams — also known as Kasim Williams — was 18 when he stabbed to death Tim Robinson for his £20,000 Audi and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years in October 2002 after admitting the murder. The court heard that Robinson’s actions in giving his girlfriend Jemma Joyce a lift home to spare her a taxi ride cost him his life. He had parked his car outside her Battersea home in southwest London when Williams and another youth approached the vehicle.

The investigation and trial portrayed the killing as a calculated crime of opportunity. Williams was unarmed but armed himself with a blade as he tried to extract the car keys, striking Robinson at least seven times, including once through the heart. The judge, Recorder of London Michael Hyam, told Williams that the killing represented the needless waste of a life with a promising future and that Williams had acted with the explicit purpose of stealing a car by force.

Williams’ case is widely cited as the first known carjacking murder in Britain. He was born in Jamaica and raised in Brixton by his mother. The government can deport foreign nationals who have been sentenced to prison for at least 12 months, and Williams was deported to Jamaica in February 2017 after serving his minimum term. Jamaica is not obligated to retain him in custody, and authorities are understood to have released him. He is now 41 and banned from re-entering the UK under deportation regulations, though his family remains in Britain.

The murder profoundly affected Robinson’s family. His father paid tribute to him as a loving, entertaining, and generous person whose life ended needlessly. The prosecution accepted a plea of not guilty to murder from a second man, Aaron Jones, 17, who was present at the scene; Jones admitted conspiring to rob drivers and acknowledged multiple carjackings during 2001 and 2002. Williams showed little emotion at sentencing, while his counsel argued that he had expressed remorse and did not set out to kill, noting a short struggle before he used the knife and fled the scene.

In noting Williams’ background, the court heard that he had previously been dealt with in youth courts for offences that warranted probation or community service and that he faced a life sentence, a prospect that frightened him. His legal team emphasized his younger, immature status and his desire to begin making amends, including a note from Williams to the court expressing remorse and a wish for forgiveness from Tim Robinson’s family. The judge acknowledged Williams’ cognitive and behavioral challenges, including limited support structures growing up, while underscoring the seriousness of his crime.

The Williams case underscores the intersection of UK crime and immigration policy, particularly in the realm of deportations for those who have served sentences abroad. Williams’ release from Jamaican custody has drawn renewed attention to the rights and limits of deportation regimes, the prospects for rehabilitation, and the ongoing impact of carjacking on victims and their families. It also serves as a historical marker for lawmakers and law enforcement as Britain grapples with evolving threats posed by vehicle theft and violent crime.

The image of Robinson’s life—torn apart by a sudden, violent carjacking—continues to haunt the community where he lived and worked. The case prompted discussions about how best to deter carjackings and protect bystanders while balancing the rights of offenders who have served their sentences and the complexities of international enforcement of deportation orders. Williams’ current status—free in Jamaica with a UK entry ban—remains a point of reference for those studying crimes of opportunity and the long reach of judicial outcomes across borders.