Four men sentenced totaling 67 years for the 2021 fatal stabbing of Lavaun Witter in a drug-related ambush.
Julian Russell, 26, got life with at least 24 years. Tyreece Wolfries-Parkins, 22, got life with at least 20 years. These sentences happened at the Old Bailey court.
Alex Pasley, 29, received a 17-year prison sentence, while Tyreece Riggon, 24, received a six-year sentence.
On February 5, 2021, Lavaun Witter, 22 years old, was stabbed after men forced entry into a flat on Wisbeach Road around 8 PM. The four men had large knives and swords and wanted drugs from inside the flat.
They broke through an internal door. Lavaun barricaded himself in with two other men and a 16-year-old. Both Lavaun and the teen escaped but had stab wounds. Lavaun collapsed nearby, and despite emergency services’ attempts to help him, he died soon after.
Police identified the attackers by using evidence, including witness statements and CCTV footage. Police raided Riggon’s address on February 18, 2021, and arrested Riggon and Russell there.
Police found Lavaun’s Louis Vuitton bag at an address connected to Russell. Wolfries-Parkin and Pasley were arrested later. Police used phone records and witness accounts to build their case.
The trial began on July 17, 2023, at the Old Bailey. The jury found Russell and Wolfries-Parkins guilty of murder, and Pasley was found guilty of manslaughter. A second trial started November 4, 2024, with Riggon and Pasley facing new charges. Riggon was guilty of attempted GBH, as was Pasley; this related to the boy’s stabbing.