A bitter romance has cost an aspiring MMA fighter, Duane Keen, his life and landed his killer in prison for a minimum of 22 years. On Friday, February 17th, 2025, a love triangle turned deadly, culminating in a life sentence for the man who killed Keen out of jealousy. For a 35-year-old man named Kai Pennell, jealousy was a motive worth killing for. For the family of Keen, who come from the United Kingdom, it’s the reason they’ll now live with a life sentence of their own.
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According to a BBC report, a woman named Rebecca Phillips was previously romantically involved with both men, which eventually became the reason behind this crime. Last May, Phillips ended her relationship with the late MMA fighter and began dating Pennell. Things didn’t stay steady with her new partner, as they ended up splitting in September that same year. However, the situation became serious when Pennell started believing that Phillips still held romantic feelings for Keen, which prompted him to kill the MMA fighter out of jealousy.
After a year following the criminal offense, Kai Pennell received a life sentence with a minimum of 22 years in jail at a hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday. Following the court’s declaration, Duane Keen’s family also reflected on their thoughts.
“Today a life sentence of 23 years has been awarded to Kai Pennell for taking the life of my son Duane,” Gwent Police’s website revealed. “A loving father, grandfather, brother and uncle. Although justice has been given, the life sentence will never be truly enough, as we the family have lost our loved one who will never have his life to live, and we now have to live the rest of our lives without him.
We the family would like to thank the police, CPS, and all the team that have worked tirelessly on this case and have supported us throughout the past several months,” they added.
Well, as the late Brit’s killer was finally brought to justice, the murder trial of a former UFC fighter has also recently concluded. Now, after Duane Keen’s family members provided their thoughts on the suspect finally receiving a lifetime sentence, the late fighter’s son also opened up.
The late MMA fighter Duane Keen’s son reflects on losing his father
As part of Duane Keen’s family, his son Anthony was also present during the trial and reacted to the sentence. In a fit of emotion and rage, Keen’s son appealed to the judges that his father’s killer should never be out of jail.
According to the BBC’s article, Anthony called Pennell a “cowardly man” and further accused him of smiling in the dock. Furthermore, the outlet also reports Keen’s son saying, “(Pennell) should not be let out of prison for the rest of his life.”
Following the emotional outburst, the late MMA fighter’s son also went on to display compassion for his father. He said that Duane was a caring soul who was “best mates” with him and the other sons, and praised him for being a compassionate grandfather as well.
That said, what do you think about this really complex and unfortunate event? Let us know in the comments section below.