A man who was arrested the day after he fatally stabbed a teenager has been convicted of his murder.
Even though he fled the scene, detectives swiftly to track down and secure evidence against Godfrey Tanishe Madondo, 20 (05.02.03), of Colegrove Road, Southwark, who was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court on Monday, 3 July, of the murder of 19-year-old Jeremiah Sewell.
He will be sentenced on Friday, 7 July.
Jeremiah was stabbed and killed after he was attacked by Madondo as he sat in the back of a parked car in Beckenham Place Park, Lewisham, in the early hours of Saturday, 16 July 2022.
Jeremiah had spent the hours prior to the attack hanging out with friends and associates.
They were listening to music and socialising when the defendant’s car arrived at around 04:25hrs.
The reason for the attack is not known, however when Madondo arrived he approached Jeremiah as he sat in the car.
Someone heard somebody ask where Jeremiah was from; and as he answered he was stabbed twice in the neck.
Madondo ran back to the car, which was driven away at speed. Jeremiah’s friends rushed him to nearby Lewisham Hospital but despite the efforts of medical staff he died a short time later.
Police were called after Jeremiah arrived at hospital and homicide detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command began work to establish what had happened.
The investigation built a compelling case with the support of witnesses and by utilising forensics and CCTV.
CCTV analysis provided detectives with movements of the car that Madondo had been travelling in; prior to the murder the occupants were seen entering a shop in Peckham and Madondo could be made out in footage.
Madondo was arrested the day after the murder, but refused to answer any questions about the attack of Jeremiah.
Detectives established the identity of the two women who were in the suspect vehicle as Khelsi Johnson-Davis and Leah Simmonds – who both played a significant part in attempting to cover up the murder.
Simmonds had taken Madondo’s blood stained clothing and discarded it in a wheelie bin near her address in Hamilton Road, SE27. Officers recovered the bin bag containing the clothing; when these were forensically analysed the blood matched Jeremiah’s. Forensic examination of the bag also revealed a finger print matching Simmonds.
Officers seized phones and this revealed conversations between Simmonds and Johnson-Davis about how to wash blood out of the clothes; detectives also found screenshots of media reports of the murder along with commentary between the pair after hearing that a person had been arrested.
Four people were subsequently charged with their roles in Jeremiah’s murder, one person was acquitted at the subsequent trial.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Wood, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, led the investigation and said: “Jeremiah’s murder was an utterly senseless and barbaric act – the speed in which the situation escalated, and the fact that Jeremiah was sitting defenceless in the back of a car, offering no threat to Madondo, makes it all the more futile.
“From the outset Madondo has not made any attempt to explain why he attacked Jeremiah, let alone accept responsibility for his actions. They have left Jeremiah’s family wondering why their loved one was viciously attacked – when he could have provided answers; he has taken the coward’s option and kept quiet.
“Madondo was supported by Johnson-Davis and Simmonds who attempted to dispose of evidence in a futile attempt to cover his murderous tracks.
“Nothing will undo the catastrophic consequences of that night, but I hope the conviction of these three people will at least give Jeremiah’s family and friends some sense that justice has been served.”
Khelsi Johnson-Davis, 20 (04.09.02), of Barset Road, SE15 was found guilty of perverting the course of justice at the same trial.
Leah Simmonds, 20 (21.03.03), of Hamilton Road, SE15, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to perverting the course of justice.
Both women will be sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 24 August.
