Category: LAW & ORDER

16 Year Old Charged With Anthony Adekola’s Murder

A teenager has been charged with the murder of Anthony Adekola in Colindale.

The 16 year old who cannot be named for legal reasons was arrested on Tuesday, 6 October and charged on 7 October with murder.

He has been remanded to appear in custody at Bromley Youth Court today.

This follows an investigation after police were called by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) at approximately 23:05hrs on Saturday, 5 September to reports of a stabbing on Debden Close, NW2.

Anthony Adekola, 22, was found in nearby Martlesham Walk, suffering stab injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Enquiries continue by homicide detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime.

Three other males have been charged with Anthony’s murder.

Christian Medina, 19 of New Brent Street, NW4; a 16-year-old male from Hendon and Tajuan Subaran, 18 of New Brent Street, NW4 appeared in custody at Hendon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 14 September charged with murder.

They appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 16 September and were remanded in custody to appear at the same court on Friday, 4 December.

Six other males aged between 15 and 19 have also been arrested and bailed pending further enquiries.

MetPolice Newsdesk


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16 Year Old Teenager Jailed For Life Over Fatal Newham Stabbing

A teenager convicted of the murder of schoolboy Baptista Adjei in Newham has been jailed.

On Friday, 25 September, 16-year-old Marvin Dyer, who can now be named following the lifting of reporting restrictions by the court, appeared at the Old Bailey where he was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 16 years before being eligible to apply for parole.

Dyer and a second 16-year-old boy had previously appeared at the same court on Tuesday, 11 August where, following trial, Dyer was convicted of murder and wounding but the second boy was found not guilty on all counts and was released.

Two to three weeks before the murder, the victims, Baptista Adjei, aged 15, and his 15-year-old friend, had become involved in an online disagreement in a Snapchat group chat with the defendants, who were only vaguely known to them outside of the online forum having seen the boys around the Stratford area.

The interaction began as mutual banter, but eventually turned ugly.

The boys had begun by taunting each other, culminating in a brief online exchange; Dyer messaged Baptista saying “If you’ve got no bodies on your blade, leave the group chat.” Baptista had replied, “Shut up. You’ll be the first.”

This exchange continued between both victims and both defendants, ending with Dyer threatening to be outside the victim’s school waiting for them at 15:25hrs the following day.

He was not waiting for them when they finished school. Weeks later, on the day of murder, 10 October 2019, Baptista and his 15-year-old friend took the bus towards Stratford.

Officers investigating the murder reviewed CCTV footage captured aboard the bus and saw Dyer, then aged 15, board the bus at Stratford Broadway and calmly pull a balaclava over his face while wearing a blue latex glove.

As Baptista and his friend made their way down the stairs of the bus, they were caught completely unaware. He stabbed them both with a 10” combat knife.

Dyer was seen to hold on to the handrail and in an attack that lasts just nine seconds, inflicted two fatal wounds on Baptista before turning his attention to Baptista’s friend inflicting further wounds

Baptista was stabbed twice in the chest. The blade punctured his lung and his heart. Not realising the severity of his injuries, he ran off, making it as far as Stratford Centre before collapsing.

Despite the efforts of medics, Baptista died from his injuries at the scene at 15:49hrs.

Baptista’s friend was stabbed once in the arm and once in the leg, he was taken to an east London hospital by the London Ambulance Service where he remained for almost a week following the incident. He has since made a full recovery.

A murder investigation was launched led by Detective Inspector Chris Soole of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.

Word of the murder spread quickly on social media and throughout the community.


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On 11 October 2019, members of Marvin Dyer’s family, who had themselves heard the rumours, confronted him. He admitted the attack on both victims and was subsequently presented to police at Forest Gate police station by his mother.

On 12 October 2019, he was charged with Baptista’s murder, grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to the second 15-year-old victim and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon. He was remanded in custody to await trial and subsequently, sentencing.

Detective Sergeant Suzanne Soren said: “It is sad and concerning that such extreme violence was used to resolve such minor conflict – nothing more than name calling.

“The sentence handed down today will not bring back Baptista. His loved ones will not be healed by the knowledge that justice has been served. They will remember and miss him every day in the years to come.

“Similarly, Marvin Dyer’s family’s lives have been changed forever, their only comfort being that they did the right thing in holding him to account and presenting him to police.

“My thoughts are with everyone touched by this most tragic and needless of incidents and I hope that anyone involved in knife crime and violence takes something from this outcome – nothing is worth the price that will be paid for murder and ultimately, that price is paid not only by the perpetrator and the victim, but also their families.”

In a victim impact statement Baptista’s Mother said: “We can never get over Baptista’s death but we hope, and I pray, that with time the constant pain that we feel subsides.

“Ours and Baptista’s plans were always that he would finish school and move on to higher education, get married and if he was blessed, to have children and make me a grandmother.

“His dreams, together with mine, will never happen because he was taken from us in such a cruel way.”


Police Officer Shot Dead By Detainee At Croydon Police Station

At approximately 02:15hrs on Friday, 25 September a police officer was shot by a man who was being detained at Croydon Custody Centre in Windmill Lane.

Officers and paramedics treated him at the scene and he was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service. Very tragically he subsequently died at hospital.

New Scotland Yard says “We are in the process of informing all of the officer’s family and are supporting them with specialist officers”

A 23-year-old man was detained by officers at the scene. He was also taken to hospital with a gunshot wound and remains in a critical condition.

No police firearms were discharged during the incident.

A murder investigation has been launched following the shooting.

Commissioner Cressida Dick said: “This is a truly shocking incident in which one of our colleagues has lost his life in the most tragic circumstances. My heart goes out to his family, direct colleagues and friends.

“We are currently supporting his family and also have a dedicated team providing support to the officers and those in the custody centre who witnessed the shooting.

“When a colleague dies in the line of duty the shockwaves and sadness reverberates throughout the Met and our communities. Policing is a family, within London and nationally, and we will all deeply mourn our colleague.

“We are in the early stages of the investigation and are still working to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and we will provide further updates when we have them.”

We have referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct who will lead an independent investigation. The MPS retain primacy of the murder investigation.

Former British MP Jailed For Sexual Assault

A former MP has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting a woman and a female parliamentary worker in separate offences nine years apart. He will also be placed on the sex offenders register for ten years.

The crimes of Charles Elphicke, 49, came to light after he was reported to police and parliamentary authorities in late 2017 following the media publication of a list of MPs accused of sexually inappropriate behaviour.

The first assault took place in 2007 as Elphicke shared a bottle of wine with a woman while his wife was away.

Elphicke became sexually suggestive and lunged at her, attempting to kiss and touch her while she tried to get away.

Elphicke paid her in cash to keep it secret from his wife.

Nine years later, Elphicke who was by then MP for Dover and Deal, assaulted another young woman – a  parliamentary worker.

In April 2016, Elphicke forcibly kissed and felt the woman’s body while they shared a drink. In May of the same year, the MP sexually touched her again, despite her having stated she had no interest in him.

The woman subsequently complained to the Whip’s office and Elphicke lied when interviewed about the matter.

Elphicke denied the offences, claiming he did kiss the first woman but stopped when she did not reciprocate, and whilst he was ‘besotted’ with the second victim he did not touch her.

He has now been convicted of three counts of sexual assault on the two women after a three-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. He will be sentenced on 15 September.

Natalie Dawson, CPS Specialist Prosecutor, said: “Charles Elphicke abused his power and influence over these women to make unwanted and forceful sexual advances towards them.

“The assaults have had a profound impact on these women – who feared for their careers if they reported him.

“Elphicke has lied repeatedly about his conduct and failed to take responsibility for his behaviour and the harm suffered by his victims.

“This prosecution and these convictions show that their reports have been taken seriously. I would like to thank them for their bravery in coming forward. Their courage and strength demonstrate that offenders like Elphicke can be brought to justice.

“I hope these convictions today give other victims the confidence to report sexual abuse, no matter how powerful their abuser.”

How the case was proved:

To secure sexual assault convictions, the CPS had to prove not only that the attacks took place but that Elphicke had no reasonable grounds to believe the victims were consenting to his advances.

The prosecution called on substantial evidence gathered by the Metropolitan Police demonstrating how both women were shocked and horrified by Elphicke’s conduct.

Accounts given by the women to friends, family and colleagues at the time of the assaults, either in person or via text messages, played a crucial part in proving the charges.

Ms Dawson added: “One of the striking aspects in this case was the similarities in the women’s accounts, despite them never having met and the assaults taking place almost a decade apart.

“Both described Elphicke behaving immaturely immediately after the assaults – such as describing himself as ‘naughty’ – as well as the determined and frantic nature of the touching.

“The case was strengthened by access the second victim gave police to her mobile phone during the relevant period, which provided a timeline of events and demonstrated the distress Elphicke’s conduct had caused her.”

Revenge Assassin Convicted Of Double North London Murders

A gunman who executed a mother-of-two and her nephew in their family home has been found guilty of their murders.

Obina Ezeoke, 28 of no fixed address was convicted on Wednesday, 9 September at the Old Bailey of the murders of Annie Ekofo, 53, and her 21-year-old nephew Bervil Kalikaka-Ekofo.
Police were called by London Ambulance Service at around 06:20hrs on 15 September 2016 to reports of two people injured at an address in Elmshurst Crescent, N2.

Officers attended and found Annie and her nephew suffering from gunshot injuries. Both were pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts to resuscitate them.

Four other people, including an eight-year-old child, inside the address were not harmed.

The trial heard that Ezeoke gained entry to Annie’s home through the front door which was unlocked, after waiting for the communal door to the main block to be opened.
He stepped into the bedroom where Bervil was sleeping and shot him in the back of the head at point blank range.
Annie, awoken by the shot, stepped out of her bedroom on the same floor down the hall and was shot in the chest. Ezeoke then made off.
An investigation was launched by the Met’s Specialist Crime Command and established a sequence of events that led to Ezeoke’s arrest.
CCTV footage captured a black Vauxhall Meriva parking in Elmhurst Crescent just after 06:10hrs and leaving around 10 minutes later.

Further enquiries revealed that the vehicle had come from and returned to the Grahame Park Estate in Colindale.

Investigators were able to prove that Ezeoke was at the estate immediately before and after the murders.

Forensic examination of the Vauxhall Meriva found high levels of gunshot residue. Gunshot residue particles were also found on a white polo shirt worn by Ekeoke on the morning of the shooting, as well as on other clothing and on his head and hair.

The car was traced back to Ezeoke, who had used false names and addresses to register and insure it.
Ezeoke was identified as a suspect and arrested within days, on 18 September 2016. He was charged with two counts of murder on 20 September.
A search of his property proved crucial, as items including an empty handgun case and parking tickets linking him to the Vauxhall Meriva were recovered.
Bervil – a student at the University of West London – had planned to stay at the house for just one night. Detectives believe that a relative of Annie and Bervil who was not at the property that evening and who Ezeoke and associates had a long-running feud with was the intended target. Neither Annie and Bervil had any involvement and this was a case of mistaken identity.
The court heard that Ezeoke was stabbed multiple times in October 2015, and the shooting is believed to have been in retaliation for that incident.

Ezeoke suffered life-threatening injuries and spent six weeks in hospital recovering. He was subsequently arrested and jailed for a drugs offence. He was released from prison in April 2016.

Ezeoke will be sentenced on Thursday, 1 October.


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Met Police to sends open letter to organisers and/or participants of public gatherings

The Metropolitan Police Service has sent out a strong advise to people against attending large gatherings. This, the MPS says is for the protection of the public with a reminder that we are still in the middle of a global pandemic.

The statement reads:

Please be advised that you may also be at risk of committing a criminal offence. Under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020 (as amended), no person may participate in a gathering which consists of more than 30 persons either indoors, on a vessel, or in a public outdoor place, unless certain exemptions apply.

There is an exemption for a gathering organised by certain types of body (such as a business or a charity), having carried out a full risk assessment and taken all steps to limit the transmission of the virus. Other exemptions apply to gatherings that are necessary for the purposes of work, providing emergency assistance or escaping the risk of harm. This open letter does not contain all the provisions. 

To find the Regulations, look on line at www.legislation.gov.uk.

The Regulations specifically prohibit participation in indoor gatherings of more than 30 people for an event that would constitute a ‘Rave’.

If you attend a gathering of more than 30 persons, you may be committing an offence, which is punishable by a fine. If you hold a gathering over 30 persons you might be committing an offence under new changes to the Regulations. It is also an offence to encourage others to unlawfully participate in a large gathering.

It is your responsibility to check the position and ensure you are not committing an offence by being involved in a large gathering. We urge anyone arranging a gathering to inform your local police.

We all need to continue to do our part to prevent the spread of the virus.

MPS Commander Public Order. 

Thamesmead Rapist And Kidnapper Jailed For 15 Years

23 year old Desmond Atumkeze of Battery Road, Greenwich, who kidnapped and raped a lone female as she walked home was sentenced to 15 years and two months’ imprisonment, with a further three years on extended licence, at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday, 11 June.

He pleaded guilty at the same court on Thursday, 19 March to two counts of rape and one count of kidnap.

The court heard that at about 20:45hrs on 8 November 2019, the 30-year-old victim was walking through a basketball court in Gallion’s Park when she heard footsteps behind her.

As she exited the basketball court, an unknown man put something into the small of her back and said: “I’ve got a gun. I’m going to kill you.”

The man stayed behind the victim and walked her to a concrete clearing next to a drained canal, which has no street lighting, near Warepoint Drive, SE28.

The man, who was wearing a ski mask, then forced the victim to remove all her clothing before raping her.

During the ordeal, the suspect made comments such as ‘I’m local’ and “I know your face, I know where you live.”

He kept asking the victim questions including if she had a boyfriend and who she lived with. The victim tried to remain calm and comply because she was afraid for her life due to the threat of a gun and the suspect telling her that he knew where she lived.

Following the assault, the suspect made the victim walk to the canal bank while still naked and instructed her to wash for 10 minutes in a large puddle, which she did in the freezing cold temperature.

The suspect then allowed the victim to get dressed while he went through her handbag, taking her headphones and mobile phone – forcing her to put her password in.

The suspect the walked the victim back to the basketball court. She started to walk away and when she was sure the suspect had gone, she returned home and called the police.

The victim was supported by specialist officers and was taken to a Haven. Results from forensic testing identified Atumkeze as a suspect.

Atumkeze was arrested on Monday, 11 November and was taken to a south London police station. He fabricated a story telling officers he had been out for a meal in Woolwich with friends who ordered him a taxi home because of his vision problems – he told officers that he was registered blind in both eyes in 2016.

He told detectives that a woman with a buggy helped him out of the taxi and he bumped into a family friend after getting out of the taxi at about 21:10hrs who helped him across the road to his home address. He said he did not see anyone else that evening.

In his interview, he said: “I was shocked when I was arrested by the police. I was thinking this was wrong as I could not have done that.

“Due to my physical problems I could not commit crimes. I cannot do that crime as I am blind. I am a virgin so I could not have done this.”

Atumkeze told officers he was familiar with the concrete area where the offence occurred and he knew it did not have lighting – adding that is why he does not go there.

Atumkeze was unable to give an explanation to why his DNA was found on the victim, who he claimed to have never seen before.
Detectives examined Atumkeze’s mobile phone and found internet searches such as ‘rape kit’, ‘DNA profiling’ and ‘the importance of DNA in sexual assault.’ He also looked up sexual offences on the Crown Prosecution Service’s website

Atumkeze was charged on Tuesday, 12 November and was convicted as above.

The victim has been left traumatised by what happened. She had to take four months off work following the ordeal and is having counselling.

In a statement read to the court, the victim said: “I became terrified of going out alone. Still to this day I avoid being alone at night outside. I couldn’t sleep. I would hear the slightest noise and be awake. I have become afraid of the night. I have very intense dreams now and I wake up in a cold sweat.

“I’ve lost my independence and self-reliance. I’m not like I was before and am now more reliant on others. I’ve started suffering panic attacks and anxiety. I’ve lost weight and my appetite. I find that suddenly I will have a flashback to what happened, this causes me further anxiety.

“I’m finding it hard to trust people, especially men, even though rationally I know not all men are going to hurt me.

“I have reached out to a few friends for support as I knew this was too big for me to carry alone. It was hard talking about what happened, it made me feel uncomfortable and it took a lot of courage but I needed the support as well.

“I have male friends that I would go out with for a meal or the cinema. Now I find it really hard to trust anyone, I don’t want physical contact. I don’t know when I’ll feel able to just go out as I did before. I find it very difficult to be close to a guy, or think about being intimate. It was always my goal to get married and have a family. Now I worry because I cannot get close to anyone and what if this doesn’t change?”

MetPolice Newsdesk