A man who was arrested the day after he fatally stabbed a teenager has been jailed.
Even though he fled the scene, detectives acted 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 was sentenced on Friday, 7 July to life imprisonment – to serve a minimum of 24 years.
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.
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.
“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 and Leah Simmonds, 20 (21.03.03), of Hamilton Road, SE15 are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey for perverting the course of justice on Thursday, 24 August.
