Two people found guilty of murder in Croydon
Details on the news can now be reported.
Two young men have been found guilty of murder, with reporting restrictions being lifted meaning this can now be reported.
2\1 year old Keahn Williams, of Coulsdon and 17 year old Kai Nelson-Palmer of Croydon, were found guilty of the murder of Lucas Sutton last April.
Last August the defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court.
Williams will serve a minimum term of 23 years’ and Nelson-Palmer a minimum term of 16 years’.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, led the investigation and said: “The evidence gathered and presented to the jury built up a clear picture of a plot to lure Lucas to an address in Croydon, act as if nothing was wrong, and then violently attack him.
“Lucas and one of the defendants had been friends but in the minds of the group, Lucas had crossed them by attempting to get rid of a firearm he had been holding onto. This perceived betrayal was the motivation for this deadly attack.
“It is clear in the weeks leading up to the murder that Lucas realised he was in danger but he did not suspect it was from those he thought of as his friends.
“This was a pre-meditated, callous act that has left Lucas’s family and friends utterly devastated. While those responsible have been held to account for their actions, I know this will do little to ease the unbearable pain Lucas’s loved ones continue to endure.”