A violent career criminal murdered his former partner inside her own home just days after being released from prison under Labour’s early-release scheme.
Robert Sabat stabbed Dickiesha Nurse to death after moving into her property following his release and refusing to leave despite her repeated pleas.
He remained in the house until Ms Nurse’s bloodied body was found during a welfare check.
Sabat later told police he had “killed before and got away with it”. He also claimed he intended to “go on a murder spree” and pleaded to be sent back to prison.
Sabat, who has no fixed address, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey, with a minimum term of 17 years and one month.
The 60-year-old had known the mother of two since childhood and had been in a relationship with her for about four years. He carried out the fatal attack on 42-year-old Ms Nurse in Tulse Hill, south London, sometime between October 21 and 28 last year.
Sabat was on licence when he attacked her, having been released from Wandsworth prison on October 17 after serving less than half of a 12-month sentence for possessing a knife and harassing another former partner.
Ms Nurse’s younger sister, Samantha Carvalho, told the court in a victim impact statement: “Upon his release from prison, he immediately targeted my sister – he showed he presents a danger to the public.”
Passing sentence, Her Honour Judge Sarah Whitehouse said: “You have left a permanent and widespread trail of destruction for the family to endure.”
Robert Sabat, 60, has been jailed for life for murdering his former partner days after his release from prison
Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly KC said Sabat was released on licence from HMP Wandsworth on Friday, October 17, 2025. He had served around 40 per cent of his sentence under Labour’s policy aimed at easing overcrowding in the prison system.
The previous day, Kingston Crown Court had sentenced him to 12 months in prison for two counts of possessing a bladed article and one count of harassment. The offences related to an incident on May 1, 2025, when he banged on a former partner’s door while carrying two knives.
On October 19, Ms Nurse’s school-age children visited her and said a “friend or cousin” had been at the property. It is believed they were referring to Sabat.
Three days later, Ms Nurse ran to a neighbour’s home and asked to use his phone to call police. She said Sabat was inside her house and “would not leave”.
Ms Farrelly told the court: “When police answered the call, she said that she no longer needed them to attend the scene because ‘he had left’.”
She added: “She told her neighbour that the defendant was at her address and would not leave. At around the same time, another neighbour subsequently went on to report to police they saw the deceased shouting in the street, saying ‘get out of my house.’”
When Ms Nurse’s children returned on October 26, they were unable to contact her. The court heard she may already have been dead inside the property by then.
Their father, Carlos Pereira, became concerned and contacted Ms Nurse’s mother, Claudette McBean.
The case was heard at the Old Bailey, where Sabat was given a life sentence
The family reported their concerns the following day after realising they had neither seen nor heard from Ms Nurse.
Ambulance crews tried to carry out a welfare check. They entered the home through an unlocked window and then opened the front door to let other emergency staff and family members into the property.
Ms Farrelly said: ‘As the four moved into the hallway, an internal door was flung open, and the defendant came through it, charging towards them, whilst at the same time brandishing a red handled knife.
‘The two members of London Ambulance Service crew and two family members withdrew from the property and police were called.’
Armed police were called and used their Taser on Sabat.
Ms Farrelly said: ‘When the armed officers entered the room that the defendant had been in, they found the deceased, who was on a bed in that room lying with a pillow over her face.
‘She was then found to have sustained multiple stab wounds to her face.
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‘It was apparent to them that she had been deceased for some time.’
Sabat had only been released from prison days before he struck mother-of-two Ms Nurse
The court heard police seized two knives, a knife blade, a knife handle and a meat cleaver from the address.
A bag marked ‘HMP valuables’ and HMP Wandsworth records in the defendant’s name were also seized.
Ms Farrelly said Sabat made a number of comments to police shortly after his arrest, including: ‘I’ve murdered three people so far. I’m gonna go on a murder spree. I’m gonna go on a murder spree.’
He also said he ‘stayed in there (Ms Nurse’s home) to be arrested’.
Sabat has a history of previous convictions dating back to 1987 for burglary.
He was convicted of assaulting a police officer in 1995, and then wounding with intent in 2014.
He was convicted of pursuing a course of conduct which amounted to harassment and two offences of possessing a bladed article in a public place in October last year but was released given the amount of time he served in prison on remand.
He had also previously been subjected to a restraining order regarding another complainant.
Members of Ms Nurse’s family described how she was the ‘life and soul of the party’, and was a devoted mother to her children.
And they described the ‘catastrophic destruction’ Sadat had inflicted upon them.
In her witness statement, the victim’s sister Ms Carvalho said: ‘Keisha possessed a vibrant personality that was impossible to overlook.
‘Today, because of the brutal actions of the defendant, our family’s joy has been completely extinguished. His actions completely tore our family apart.’
Her mother, Ms McBean, added: ‘It doesn’t feel real to me that she’s gone.
‘I put a little bit of food out for her on the table and say: “Kiesha, take as much as you like, you don’t have to ask.”
Mr Pereira, the father of her children, said: ‘She might have had her personal issues but she was a warm and loving person and anyone can attest to that.
‘In many moments I can see how hurt they (the children) are and how much they miss her.’
Labour’s initial early release scheme saw prisoners released after serving 40% of their fixed-term sentences in custody, rather than half.
Tens of thousands of prisoners have been released early under the scheme to date, with some praising Prime Minister Andy Burnham as they left prison during the latest wave earlier this month.
Nick Timothy, the shadow justice minister, said: ‘Labour has let thousands of dangerous criminals out of prison early, and this tragic case shows the consequences.
‘With almost 5,000 prisoners set to be released early over the next ten months, it is the public who will pay the price for Labour’s actions.
‘Only the Conservatives have a plan to fix our prison estate by building 50,000 new places, ending early release for good, and ensuring we can send violent and serious repeat offenders to prison.’
Sadat was told he would spend a minimum term of 17 years and one month in prison before being considered for parole.
But the judge warned him he may never be released.