A gang of five has been found guilty of murdering a Greek tourist in a botched robbery in south-east London. Antonis Antoniadis, 26, was followed from a nightclub in Marylebone to a friend's address in New Cross, where he was stabbed to death on July 7 last year.
The Old Bailey heard that the defendants – Shian Johnson, 25, Sofian Alliche, 20, Joshua McCorquodale, 20, Alfie Hipple, 18, and a 17-year-old youth – had spent the night outside the 32 Portland Place nightclub in a stolen car, looking for someone to rob. They targeted Mr Antoniadis as he left with two friends and followed their Uber for over half an hour.
When the group arrived at the address, Mr Antoniadis was approached by four men in hoods and balaclavas. He fought back, hitting one with a brandy bottle, but was stabbed in the chest and thigh. The femoral artery wound caused catastrophic blood loss, and he died in hospital on July 21.
Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said the gang were “clearly prepared to use really serious violence”. CCTV showed them removing number plates from the stolen Kia Sportage and replacing them with false ones. The defendants were convicted of murder and conspiracy to rob.
