Life sentences for three who murdered unarmed father with ‘arsenal of knives’
The incident happened outside a north London estate out of sight from CCTV in January last year
Three young men have been handed life sentences for murdering an unarmed father with an “arsenal of knives”.
Benito Ramirez Kones, 20, Carlos Akum Metumbe, 22, and Luiggi Perelli Santana, 22, stabbed and beat Gregory Catillo Volquez outside a north London estate out of sight from CCTV on January 13 last year.
Four knives, including a machete a rambo knife, were later found hidden in two flats inside. A medical crutch was also used in the attack.
The murderers “went into the night” before attempting to flee the country, which only Metumbe and Santana managed to do, the judge found.
Two of the defendants had already been before the courts and had a string of convictions between them, including possession of a bladed article in a public place.
At the time of the attack, Kones was serving a suspended sentence for possession of a locking knife in October 2024, Mr Justice Bourne KC told Southwark Crown Court.
Santana was on court bail after failing to attend a November 2024 hearing for having a “machete with tape around the handle” in his trousers – similar to the one used in the murder, he added.
Sentencing them on Friday (4 September 2026), in a hearing pierced by heavy sobs from the public gallery, the judge said: “This was a truly wicked crime committed by very dangerous men.
“In my judgment, none of you have shown any real remorse for what you did – you each chose to contest this case and I am unable to reduce the sentences in the absence of guilty pleas.”
The older two defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment and Kones to life in custody.
Metumbe, of previous good character, will serve a minimum term of 22 years, Santana a minimum term of 23 years and Kones a minimum term of 23 years.
The judge added: “The violence inflicted on (Mr Volquez) in the car park was grossly disproportionate to any threat he could have posed.”
Jurors said he “was targeted and that the three of you armed yourselves for that purpose”.
He continued: “No-one taking part in the offence could have been unaware of the knives being carried and used in the attack on Mr Volquez, in particular the large machete carried by you, Mr Metumbe – at the start of events it was clearly visible.”
Mr Volquez had spent the night with his friend in south London clubs and jurors saw evidence that neither was armed.
They travelled north, to Haringey, and were admitted through a communal door to a third and fourth floor flat on the Tiverton Estate.
They spent about 30 to 40 minutes inside before CCTV showed them walking towards the car park overlooked by the flat, at 4.53am.
About a minute later, they were seen moving backwards from Metumbe and Santana “as you launched your combined attack upon the deceased, armed with the hospital crutch and a machete”, the judge said.
The young men chased them and continued the assault before returning to a ground floor flat.
Mr Volquez collapsed between two parked cars and was found unconscious by police minutes later.
He was pronounced dead at 5.37am having sustained 22 “sharp force injuries”.
Evidence also showed he had been stamped on and kicked in the face by more than one person.
The heel of one of Kones’s trainers had struck Mr Volquez above his left eye when he was clearly bleeding, the judge added.
Kones, of De Beauvoir Estate, Hackney, east London, was arrested in Swansea, South Wales, the Metropolitan Police said previously.
Metumbe, of Lower Clapton Road, Hackney, east London, and Santana, of Brixton Hill, Lambeth, south London, fled to Spain and were extradited in August and October that year respectively, they added.
The judge told the defendants: “In your evidence the two of you each attempted to restrict your involvement in this offence to what you considered could be proved against you from the closed circuit television (CCTV) footage and forensic evidence.
“Apart from your admission to limited involvement with a machete in the initial stages of this events, by you Mr Metumbe… none of you accepted repeatedly stabbing the deceased with the arsenal of knives which was subsequently seized by the police.”
Each of the men “acted as a principle in this offence”, he said.