Pair guilty of killing relative
BY JAMES TWOMEY
james@slpmedia.co.uk
A man and a woman have been convicted of stabbing to death a 66-year-old man who was a distant relative of theirs.
Aaron Woolcock, 30, of Lewisham, was on Tuesday found guilty of the manslaughter of Leroy Junior Edwards, in his own home, at the Old Bailey following a trial.
Kerry Donovan, 29, of Pantile Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, was found guilty of the murder of Leroy.
Both will be sentenced at the same court on Thursday, April 18 for their role in the killing of Leroy.
The court heard that on August 18, 2018, Donovan and Woolcock had both gone to Leroy’s address in Ringstead Road, Catford, where an argument took place and Leroy was stabbed several times. Donovan and Woolcock then fled the scene.
A neighbour reported hearing banging coming from upstairs and left his flat to find a trail of blood that led to Leroy’s door.
Their victim was found stabbed inside the flat by emergency services, with a large knife on the floor next to him.
He was taken to a South London hospital where he died a short while later.
A post-mortem on August 19 at Greenwich Mortuary gave the cause of death as stab wounds to the neck and chest.
A purse was recovered at the scene and police found it contained a driver’s licence and bank cards in the name of Kerry Donovan.
She was arrested in Basildon on August 19, 2018 on suspicion of murder and charged two days later.
Witnesses had reported seeing two people leave the flat following the row. Woolcock, spotted on CCTV, was arrested on September 20, 2018 and charged with murder the same day.
Detective Sergeant Brian Jones, of the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “We may never know exactly why Mr Edwards was killed.
“Whatever the motive, this led to the senseless death of a family man of good character in the home where he had lived for over 25 years.
“His family described him as a ‘quiet, non-confrontational man who liked to be at home’.
“Woolcock and Donovan now face the consequences of their actions and I hope their conviction will give some solace to Mr Edwards’ family and friends.”