Peter Janoski and Dylan Myrie were found guilty after the brutal stabbing of Dean Fountaine in a drug feud

The dark underworld of Luton’s drug trade was exposed in court this week as two men were convicted in the brutal murder of 37-year-old Dean Fountaine. The Luton drug murder verdict followed a “cold and calculated ambush” that occurred last June on Ashton Road, during a botched robbery connected to rival drug operations.

Peter Janoski, 44, and Dylan Myrie, 21, lured Fountaine into a deadly trap, pretending to orchestrate a routine drug deal. Instead, it became a setup for violence. Myrie, masked and waiting in the shadows, launched a fatal knife attack, leaving Fountaine with catastrophic injuries. Despite medical efforts, he died in hospital the following day.

The pair were brought before the courts, where their own accounts unravelled under the weight of evidence. Janoski was convicted of murder and conspiracy to commit robbery. Myrie, although cleared of murder, was found guilty of manslaughter. Both now face long prison sentences for their role in a killing that has shaken the community and devastated a family.

During the harrowing trial, jurors heard how Fountaine was targeted due to his alleged links to a rival drug gang. This was no random act of violence, but a strategic move in a turf war that has increasingly plagued parts of Bedfordshire. Prosecutors detailed how Myrie had waited nearby with a knife, striking once Fountaine had arrived, while Janoski coordinated the robbery from close range.

In a moving victim impact statement, Dean’s mother laid bare the raw pain caused by his loss. “Justice may be served,” she said, “but nothing can alleviate the unbearable pain of losing Dean. He was a son, a brother, and a father. Our lives are forever scarred.”

Bedfordshire Police, speaking after the verdicts were returned, underlined the importance of community cooperation in confronting organised crime. Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins, who led the investigation, praised the meticulous work of the investigative team and the courage of witnesses who helped bring the truth to light.

“Dean’s family deserves closure, and today we delivered a measure of justice,” she said. “But our fight to stop the violence fuelled by the drug trade continues. These convictions are a powerful message that we will not tolerate such ruthless disregard for life.”

The case has added fuel to ongoing concerns over youth recruitment into criminal networks, the spread of county lines drug operations, and the rising tide of gang violence in towns like Luton. Myrie, only 21, now joins a growing list of young men facing life-altering consequences for becoming entangled in violent drug-related feuds.

Janoski, by contrast, was more than twice his co-defendant’s age, and prosecutors argued he acted as the ringleader, manipulating the situation for personal gain. The courtroom heard how he showed little remorse throughout proceedings, insisting on his innocence despite overwhelming evidence.

As both men await sentencing, Bedfordshire Police continues to urge the public to share information that could prevent future violence. “If you see something suspicious, say something,” added DI Jenkins. “We need every resident’s help in breaking the cycle of drugs and destruction.”

For the family of Dean Fountaine, the verdict brings some measure of closure, but not peace. Their grief, etched into every word of testimony, serves as a sobering reminder of what lies at stake in the war against drug-fuelled violence.