Two men from Purley have been sentenced to a total of 44 years for the September 2023 murder of Bradley Hutchins and seriously injuring his brother.
Guilty: Shane Canavan
Shane Canavan, 23, and his half-brother, Joshua Langley, 29, both of Greyfields Close, were sentenced to life with a minimum of 23 years and 21 years in prison respectively.
At Woolwich Crown Court in July, they were both found guilty of the murder of 20-year-old Bradley Hutchins and of wounding with intent his 19-year-old brother, Calum Hutchins.
Bradley Hutchins was one of 11 people killed on the streets of Croydon during 2023.
During the trial, the court heard how police were called to reports of a group of men fighting with weapons in North Walk, New Addington on September 12 last year.
Officers attended and heard that Bradley and Calum had been taken to a nearby ambulance station. They had both been stabbed multiple times.
Bradley’s injuries were so severe that despite the efforts of the emergency services, he died a short time later.
Guilty: Josh Langley
Officers worked to identify the suspects, with Canavan arrested on September 16 and Langley arrested the following day.
Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command found a crowbar, monkey wrench, knife and balaclava, which had all been left behind by those involved. The motive for the violent attack was a fight the previous week where Canavan had come off second best.
A combination of witness testimony, CCTV and forensic evidence would ultimately lead to Canavan and Langley’s conviction.
At the time of the trial in the summer, Detective Inspector Matt Read, from the Specialist Crime Command, said: “We established that Canavan had been involved in a fist fight with Bradley and the other man a few days prior in which he had been the aggressor but had come off worse. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt then.
“Canavan however could not let it go and went out looking for the two victims, this time with a knife. When he found himself outnumbered by the pair and some friends he called for back-up in his half-brother Langley, and he himself also arrived with a knife and wearing a balaclava.
“A fight then ensued in which Bradley and the other victim fought back with makeshift weapons. However, they were both stabbed multiple times.”
Today, DI Read said: “We hope this sentence brings a level of peace and a feeling of justice to Bradley’s family, after the utter devastation they have suffered.
“We worked very hard to identify the suspects responsible for this terrible attack and build a watertight investigation to get them put behind bars.
“We want to thank the witnesses who bravely came forward to help, and offer our heartfelt wishes to Bradley’s friends and family as they live on in his memory.”
Read more: Croydon in 2023: London’s borough with most murder victims
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