More than four years after the brutal murder of Lavaun Witter, who was killed with a Samurai sword, the men responsible have been sentenced.
Murderer: Julian Russell, from Thornton Heath, was this week given a life sentence
On February 5 2021, 22-year-old Lavaun Witter was fatally stabbed in the leg after four men broke into a flat in Wisbeach Road, Selhurst.
The gang, who were all armed with long knives and swords, demanded drugs to be handed over and slashed through an internal door to get to Witter, who had barricaded himself in with two other men and a 16-year-old boy.
Witter and the 16-year-old, who also suffered a stab injury, managed to run away from the scene, but Witter collapsed a short distance away and died a short time later.
A combination of witness statements and CCTV identified Tyreece Riggon, Julian Russell, Tyreece Wolfries-Parkin and Alex Pasley as the men involved in the fatal attack.
On February 18, 2021, police officers raided an address linked to Riggon, where he and Russell were arrested. A search of an address linked to Russell recovered a Louis Vuitton bag belonging to Witter.
Murderer: Tyreece Wolfries-Parkins was also given a life sentence
Wolfries-Parkin and Pasley were also arrested in the following weeks.
All were charged with Witter’s murder as well as attempted murder and attempted grievous bodily harm of the 16-year-old.
Lavaun Witter was 22 years old when he was killed.
A trial at the Old Bailey began on July 17, 2023, where Russell, 26, of Sandfield Road, Thornton Heath, and Tyreece Wolfries-Parkins, 22, were found guilty of murder.
Alex Pasley, 29, of Paxton Grove, Coulsdon, was found guilty of manslaughter.
A re-trial began on November 4 last year and on December 12, Tyreece Riggon, 24, of Armistice Gardens, South Norwood, was found guilty of attempted GBH.
Guilty: Alexander Pasley was sentenced to 17 years for manslaughter
Pasley was also found guilty of attempted GBH in relation to the attack on the 16-year-old boy.
The group appeared at the Central Criminal Court this week for sentencing.
Russell was sentenced to life in prison, to serve a minimum of 24 years in prison minus the four years spent on remand.
Wolfries-Parkins was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 20 years minus the time spent on remand.
Alex Pasley was sentenced to 17 years in prison and Tyreece Riggon was sentenced to six years, both minus four years spent on remand.
Guilty: Tyreece Riggon was sentenced to six years for GBH
Detective Chief Inspector Mike Nolan, the senior investigating officer, said: “These men were prepared to use extreme levels of violence and take Lavaun’s life to gain possession of drugs they believed were inside the property.
“Lavaun was defenceless against the four men who were each armed with large knives, including a Samurai sword.
“Levaun’s death devastated his family and his community. I commend the bravery and strength they have shown throughout this lengthy investigation.
“It is important that all four men involved in the Lavaun have been identified and brought to justice.
“The streets of London will be safer now they will be in jail for a considerable period of time.”
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