And in a separate court case, the murderer of Police Sergeant Matt Ratana has had an appeal against his life sentence rejected by three senior judges
A man from Thornton Heath, Paul Campbell, was yesterday found guilty of the Christmas Eve killing of “gentle” Gordon Ogunmuyiwa in 2022, following a three-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
Guilty: Paul Campbell killed Gordon Ogunmuyiwa on Christmas Eve 2022
Ogunmuyiwa, a 62-year-old former doctor, was found dead in a Croydon hostel on December 24 2022. Police and the London Ambulance Service had been called to the address in Thornton Heath after neighbours reported hearing “a particularly vicious” assault.
A post-mortem was conducted and, according to the police, “it was clear that Gordon had multiple injuries borne over time”.
The police investigation found that Ogunmuyiwa had been subject to more than a year of abuse, physical and financial.
Campbell, 43, of Dunheved Road West, was found guilty of manslaughter and is due to be sentenced on June 10.
Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend, who led the Met’s investigation, said: “Gordon was a gentle man with no history of violence.
“Ill health however had seen him become increasingly vulnerable – something Campbell took advantage of. A selfish and self-serving man, Campbell’s greed coloured his actions and an innocent man was taken from his family.
“I hope today’s verdict goes some way in providing a sense of justice to Gordon’s family.”
When the police arrived at the house of multiple occupancy on Christmas Eve almost three years ago, they discovered Ogunmuyiwa in a room registered in Campbell’s name. Campbell had fled the scene.
Police interviewed residents at the address and established a pattern of behaviour that saw Ogunmuyiwa suffer brutal beatings by Campbell.
A financial search uncovered that Campbell had been using Ogunmuyiwa’s debit cards. He also bought an iPhone from a second-hand shop, using the same bank cards a week after Gordon had died. Campbell was arrested on January 11 2023, and was charged with murder.
The Met Police have not detailed why Campbell’s conviction was for the lesser charge of manslaughter.
In a separate, unrelated case, Louis De Zoysa, the killer of Police Sergeant Matt Ratana, has had his appeal against a whole-life sentence rejected by the Court of Appeal.
De Zoysa was arrested in Norbury in September 2020, and managed to carry a firearm into the Croydon Custody Centre on Windmill Road, where he shot Sgt Ratana was shot in the chest and leg at point-blank range.
Barristers acting for De Zoysa’s barristers argued he should be allowed to challenge his conviction and sentence on the grounds that he was wrongly deemed fit to plead and stand trial, and that his sentence should not have been a whole-life order.
In a ruling, Dame Victoria Sharp, Mr Justice Goss and Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb dismissed the appeal bids. The judges reasons will be provided later in a written ruling.
Read more: Croydon cop killer Louis De Zoysa handed life jail sentence
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