Four men have been sentenced to a total of 67 years in prison following a Met Police investigation into the death of 22-year-old Lavaun Witter in Croydon.
On 5 February 2021, officers were called to Wisbeach Road at around 8:08 p.m. after a member of the public found Lavaun collapsed and seriously injured.
He sadly died at the scene after sustaining a stab wound to the leg.
An investigation was launched by the Met’s Specialist Crime South Unit. Enquiries revealed that before his death, Lavaun’s flat had been broken into by four men.
The men, who were armed with long knives and swords, demanded drugs and slashed through an internal door.
Lavaun and a 16-year-old boy were stabbed before running from the scene, but Lavaun collapsed a short distance away.
CCTV enquiries quickly identified the suspects as Tyreece Riggon, Julian Russell, Tyreece Wolfries-Parkin and Alex Pasley.
On 18 February 2021, officers raided an address linked to Riggon, and he and Russell were arrested. A subsequent search of an address linked to Russell recovered a Louis Vuitton bag belonging to Lavaun.
Wolfries-Parkin and Pasley were also arrested in the following weeks.
All were charged with Lavaun’s murder as well as attempted murder and attempted grievous bodily harm of the 16-year-old.
Detective Chief Inspector Mike Nolan, Senior Investigating Officer in the case, 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.”
A trial at the Old Bailey began on 17 July 2023, and Julian Russell of Sanfield Road, CR7 and Wolfries-Parkins were found guilty of murder. Pasley of Paxton Grove, Coulsdon, was found guilty of manslaughter.
A re-trial began on 4 November 2024, and on Thursday, 12 December, Riggon, 24, of Armistice Gardens, SE25, was found guilty of attempted GBH. Pasley was also found guilty of attempted GBH in relation to the attack on the 16-year-old boy.
The group appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 19 February for sentencing.
Russell was sentenced to life in prison, serving at least 24 years in prison minus the four years spent on remand.
Wolfries-Parkins was sentenced to life imprisonment for a minimum term of 20 years minus the time spent on remand.
Pasley was sentenced to 17 years in prison, and Riggon was sentenced to six years minus four years spent on remand.
