Three men have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Gregory Castillo Volquez, who was stabbed 22 times and beaten with a crutch and a plank in Haringey, north London, on January 13 of last year.
Benito Ramirez Kones, 20, Carlos Akum Metumbe, 22, and Luiggi Perelli Santana, also 22, were found guilty of the killing. The court heard that Mr. Volquez had been out drinking with friends when the attack occurred, out of sight of CCTV cameras.
Following the assault, during which Mr. Volquez sustained 22 sharp force injuries and was also stamped and kicked, the perpetrators attempted to flee. Metumbe and Santana, both Spanish nationals, reached Spain, while Kones, an Ecuadorian-born Italian national, remained in Britain. Kones was arrested in Swansea. Metumbe and Santana were extradited to the UK in August and October of last year, respectively.
During sentencing on Friday, the judge described the crime as "truly wicked" and committed by "very dangerous men." The judge noted that none of the defendants had shown "any real remorse" and that their decision to contest the case prevented any reduction in sentences. The violence inflicted was deemed "grossly disproportionate" to any threat Mr. Volquez might have posed.
Southwark Crown Court heard that Mr. Volquez and his friends had been in south London clubs before traveling to a housing estate in Haringey. CCTV footage showed them walking towards a car park around 4:53 a.m. Approximately one minute later, they were seen moving backward from Metumbe and Santana as the attack commenced with a crutch and a machete. The assailants pursued the group, continuing the assault before returning to a ground-floor flat. Mr. Volquez collapsed between two parked cars and was pronounced dead by police at 5:37 a.m.
Evidence presented in court indicated that the heel of one of Kones's trainers had struck Mr. Volquez above his left eye while he was bleeding. The judge also stated that the defendants had attempted to minimize their involvement, relying on CCTV and forensic evidence, and largely denied repeatedly stabbing the victim with the arsenal of knives later seized by police.
Mr. Volquez's mother, Lusitania, read a victim impact statement in Spanish, describing the immense pain of her loss and her son's kind and noble nature. She spoke of the "huge void" left in her family and prayed not to be filled with hatred for those who killed her son.
At the time of the attack, Kones was serving a suspended sentence for possession of a locking knife from October 2024. Santana was on court bail for a November 2024 hearing concerning having a machete in his trousers, similar to the weapon used in the murder.