A man whose son was murdered in 2017 has praised his family liaison officer for supporting him through the hardest period of his life.
Michael Jonas was just 17 when he was lured to Betts Park in Bromley and murdered by six teenagers in an attack that lasted less than 120 seconds.
Following a sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court today, Michael Jonas Senior thanked Detective Constable Becky Pitcher for being by his side throughout the six-year investigation.
He said: “The murder team detectives worked tirelessly to successfully gain these convictions. Even though the case was complicated and lasted more than six years, they never gave up.
“My relationship with the police has not always been easy and even at the beginning of the investigation I was wary and distrustful.
“But from the day Michael died, Becky has been there every step of the way. She has answered our questions, guided us through the court process and most of all reassured us that her team weren’t ever going to give up.
“She has become part of our family and we will never forget everything she has done for us.”
The six men, all teenagers at the time of Michael’s murder, had previously been convicted at a trial in October.
Today they were sentenced as below:
-Nyron Jean Baptiste, 23, of Queen Adelaide Road, Penge: life with a minimum of 31 years.
-Divon Henry-Campbell, 23, of Fayland Avenue, Streatham: life with a minimum of 18 years.
– Sarraviho Smith, 24, of Grove Hill Road, Camberwell: life with a minimum of 17 years.
-Jason Smith, 20, of Bow Arrow Lane, Dartford: life with a minimum of 12.5 years.
-Jamie Marshall, 22, of Burham Close, Penge: life with a minimum of 13 years.
-Ryan Girense Brown, 21, of Sydenham Road, Croydon: life with a minimum of 12 years.
