Blood on the streets: The fatal attack that led to 67 years in jail
The convicts
Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga
Four men have been sentenced to a total of 67 years in prison following a Metropolitan Police investigation into the fatal stabbing of 22-year-old Lavaun Witter in Croydon.
Lavaun was found collapsed and seriously injured on Wisbeach Road at around 8:08 pm on 5 February 2021. Despite emergency response efforts, he died at the scene from a stab wound to the leg.
A Met Police investigation revealed that Lavaun’s flat had been forcibly entered by four armed men wielding long knives and swords.
The intruders demanded drugs and slashed through an internal door before attacking Lavaun and a 16-year-old boy.
Both victims were stabbed before fleeing the scene, but Lavaun collapsed a short distance away and succumbed to his injuries.
According to the Met Police, CCTV footage led police to identify the attackers as Tyreece Riggon, Julian Russell, Tyreece Wolfries-Parkin, and Alex Pasley.
Officers arrested Riggon and Russell on 18 February 2021, recovering a Louis Vuitton bag belonging to Lavaun from an address linked to Russell.
Pasley and Wolfries-Parkin were arrested in the following weeks. All four were charged with Lavaun’s murder, as well as attempted murder and grievous bodily harm concerning the 16-year-old victim.
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A trial at the Old Bailey, which began on 17 July 2023, resulted in Julian Russell and Tyreece Wolfries-Parkin being found guilty of murder, while Alex Pasley was convicted of manslaughter. A re-trial on 4 November 2024 found Tyreece Riggon guilty of attempted GBH, while Pasley was also convicted of attempted GBH for his role in the attack on the 16-year-old.
On 19 February, 2025, the four men were sentenced at the Old Bailey. Julian Russell was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 24 years, minus four years spent on remand.
Tyreece Wolfries-Parkin received life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years, minus time spent on remand.
Alex Pasley was sentenced to 17 years in prison, while Tyreece Riggon was sentenced to six years. Both Pasley and Riggon were given credit for four years already served.
Detective Chief Inspector Mike Nolan, who led the investigation, described the crime as an act of extreme violence.
He stated that the attackers were willing to take Lavaun’s life to seize drugs they believed were inside the property. He added that Lavaun stood no chance against the four men, who were each armed with large knives, including a Samurai sword.
Commending Lavaun’s family and community for their resilience throughout the lengthy trial process, he acknowledged the devastating impact the crime had on them.
