In a tragic case, a young man has been found guilty of murder after fatally stabbing teenager Jeremiah Sewell in the neck on two occasions. The motive for the brutal attack was reportedly due to Sewell’s association with the Beckenham area.
Godfrey Madondo, 20, took the life of 19-year-old Jeremiah following an unplanned encounter in Beckenham Place Park during the early hours of July 16 last year. Prosecutors argued that the motive for the murder seemed to be solely based on the fact that Sewell hailed from Beckenham, while the defendant and his friends were from Peckham, in south London.
During the trial at the Old Bailey, Prosecutor Alan Kent KC told jurors that the fatal meeting occurred in an otherwise deserted car park in the middle of a public park. After committing the murder, Khelsi Johnson-Davies and Leah Simmonds assisted in cleaning and disposing of Madondo’s bloodstained clothes.
Following five hours of deliberation, the jury unanimously found Madondo guilty of murder on Tuesday. Johnson-Davies, 20, was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice, while Simmonds, 20, had already admitted to the charge. However, a fourth defendant, Kadjo Kadio, 19, from Romford, Essex, was cleared of murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.
The court heard that Jeremiah had spent time with friends at a home music studio on July 15, 2022, and later drove around in their cars during the early hours of July 16. Eventually, they parked in the car park, where they listened to music and conversed. At around 4:25 am, the defendants arrived in a black Vauxhall Astra. Kadio, who was recognized by Jeremiah’s group, approached their car, where Jeremiah was sitting with the window down. It is alleged that Madondo, wearing a balaclava, also got out of the Astra and approached Jeremiah’s car. A question was asked about Jeremiah’s origin, to which he responded that he was from Beckenham. Within moments of giving his response, Jeremiah was stabbed twice in the neck.
Madondo fled the scene but was apprehended the following day and refused to answer questions during a police interview. Johnson-Davies was arrested at her Peckham residence, where a grey balaclava with Madondo’s DNA was discovered. Further investigation of her phone uncovered “incriminating” conversations with Simmonds, in which she advised washing Madondo’s bloodstained clothes at a high temperature.
Following the verdict, Judge Nigel Lickley KC remanded Madondo into custody and cautioned him that he could face a life sentence when he returns to court on Friday. Sentencing for Johnson-Davies and Simmonds has been adjourned to a later date in August, with Johnson-Davies granted conditional bail in the meantime.
