Three men have been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of Gregory Catillo Volquez, 36, who was attacked by strangers in north London in January last year. The combined minimum terms total 68 years.
Attack in Tiverton Road
Volquez was on a night out with friends in south London on January 13 last year when they travelled north. In the early hours, he was attacked by three men armed with a machete and a crutch in Tiverton Road, Haringey. Footage showed two attackers wielding a machete while a third struck him repeatedly with a crutch.
Volquez was stabbed 22 times and pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. He is survived by his partner and young daughter.
Sentencing and convictions
Following an eight-week trial at Southwark Crown Court, Benito Ramirez Kones, 20, Carlos Akum Metumbe, 22, and Italian national Luiggi Perelli Santana, 22, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Kones, of Hackney, received a minimum term of 23 years; Metumbe, also from Hackney, a minimum of 22 years; and Santana, of Lambeth, a minimum of 23 years.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Volquez's partner, Teresa, said: “We have a daughter, a little girl, who misses her dad. She asks for him, she still expects to see him coming back. She needs his hugs, his words, and his presence.”
She added: “It is very painful to see a little girl suffering the absence of her father and how she tries to understand why he is not with us. They robbed her of the opportunity to grow up beside him, to share her birthdays, graduations and all the important moments of her life.”
Investigation and evidence
The investigation found Volquez did not know the three men, and the motive for the attack remains unclear. Kones was detained five days after the attack in Swansea. His trainers, seen on CCTV, were seized upon arrest and forensic evidence confirmed traces of Volquez's blood.
Metumbe and Santana fled the country but were traced to Spain and extradited by Met officers in August and October 2025. Both were captured on CCTV repeatedly striking Volquez with a machete and crutch. The post-mortem examination recorded 22 stab wounds, many caused by a long knife, as well as bruises from a blunt object. Santana's bloody fingerprints were identified on both the crutch and large knife.
Detective Inspector Jim Barry, who led the investigation, said: “Our thoughts go to Gregory’s loved ones who have demonstrated commendable togetherness and strength throughout this turbulent process. I know nothing will bring him home but am hopeful that this result offers justice and closure for his family, who have been left without a much-loved dad, brother, and son.”
A fourth man was found not guilty.
