Michael Jonas murder: Six men found guilty of killing teenager nearly six years after attack
Six men who lured a teenager to a park before they stabbed him to death have been convicted of murder nearly six years after the “pre-planned” attack.
Michael Jonas, aged 17, was found with stab wounds in Betts Park, Bromley, on November 2, 2017. Despite the efforts of emergency services he died at the scene.
The six men found guilty of his murder at Southwark Crown Court yesterday were all charged in December 2017, but charges were dropped early the following year by the Criminal Prosecution Service (CPS).
After investigating officers secured more evidence, the CPS agreed to reinstate the original charges in October 2022, and the men were remanded until trial.
The detectives’ investigation gathered CCTV from the park and surrounding areas.
This revealed that at around 7pm on the day Mr Jonas was killed, he had been approached by five of the men as he walked down nearby Anerley Road, before all walked into the park together.
At 7.12pm, Nyron Jean Baptiste, 22, of Queen Adelaide Road, Penge, was captured on CCTV arriving at the scene.
Phone analysis later showed he had been called to the area by Divon Henry-Campbell, 23, of Fayland Avenue, Streatham.
Just three minutes later, by 7.15pm, all of the defendants were seen fleeing the park on bicycles. The fatal attack had taken no more than 120 seconds.
A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as stab wounds to the chest.
DNA from blood stains at the scene was also found to be one billion times more likely to be from Jean-Baptiste than from an unknown and unrelated individual.
None of the group ever admitted responsibility or provided any reason for their actions, however the court heard that they had believed Michael was a “snitch” and so carried out their fatal attack.
Jean Baptiste and Henry-Campbell were convicted after CCTV and forensics linked them to the murder. Jason Smith, 20, of Bow Avenue Lane, Dartford, Jamie Marshall, 22, of Burham Close, Penge, Ryan Girense Brown, 21, of Sydenham Road, Croydon, and Sarraviho Smith, 23 of Grove Hill Road, Camberwell were also convicted.
They will all be sentenced on November 20 at Southwark Crown Court.
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Webb, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Michael was just 17 when he was fatally stabbed in a violent, pre-planned attack. His family remain devastated by his loss and will never come to terms with what happened that night.
“This has been a long and complex investigation, but we were determined to keep fighting for justice and we are pleased these men will now be off the streets of London and unable to cause further harm.”
Pictured top: The six men found guilty of Michael Jonas’ murder, clockwise from top left, Jamie Marshall, Jason Smith, Divon Henry-Campbell, Nyron John-Baptiste, Ryan Brown and Sorraviho Smith (Picture: The Met)