Six men, including one from Camberwell, have been jailed for 103.5 years minimum for the murder of seventeen-year-old Michael Jonas.
Michael died from stab wounds to the chest in Betts Park, Bromley, in November 2017 – a brutal attack that lasted less than 120 seconds.
The six men, all teenagers at the time of the attack, were convicted of murder in October last year.
They were all sentenced to life following a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, February 6.
Michael’s father, Michael Jonas Snr, thanked police for their work, singling out family liaison officer DC Becky Pitcher.
“She has become part of our family and we will never forget everything she has done for us,” he said.
Police were first called to Betts Park on November 2, 2017, following a report that a man was injured.
Officers discovered Michael suffering from multiple stab injuries but, despite paramedics’ efforts, he died at the scene.
A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was stab wounds to the chest.
Detectives established that, at around 7pm, Michael had been approached by five of the group as he walked down Anerley Road. The group then walked into the park together.
At 7.12pm, the sixth member of the group John-Baptiste was captured arriving at the scene, with phone analysis showing he’d been called by Henry-Campbell.
Three minutes later, by 7.15pm, the defendants were seen fleeing the park on bicycles. The fatal attack had taken no more than 120 seconds.
The court heard that DNA from bloodstains at the scene was one billion times more likely to be from Jean-Baptiste than from an unknown or unrelated individual.
None of the group ever admitted responsibility or gave reasons for their action.
The court heard that they had believed Michael was a ‘snitch’ and so carried out the fatal attack.
All six defendants had been arrested and charged by early December 2017. The CPS dropped the case the following year but officers continued gathering evidence meaning the CPS reinstated the charges five years later.
Their sentences were as follows:
-Nyron Jean Baptiste, 23 (27.07.01) of Queen Adelaide Road, Penge – life with a minimum of 31 years
-Divon Henry-Campbell, 23 (14.07.00) of Fayland Avenue, Streatham – life with a minimum of 18 years
– Sarraviho Smith, 24 (09.11.99) of Grove Hill Road, Camberwell – life with a minimum of 17 years
-Jason Smith, 20 (17.05.03) of Bow Arrow Lane, Dartford – life with a minimum of 12.5 years
-Jamie Marshall, 22 (13.07.01) of Burham Close, Penge – life with a minimum of 13 years
-Ryan Girense Brown, 21 (05.08.02) of Sydenham Road, Croydon – life with a minimum of 12 years