News

CAMBERWELL MURDER VICTIM WAS FACING TRIAL 'FOR GBH'

24 September 2007

The teenager who was murdered in Camberwell last weekend was on trial for allegedly committing grievous bodily harm, the 'News' can reveal.

Edvin Johnson was knifed to death near his home on the Crawford Estate after becoming embroiled in a gang row, thought to be over his friend's possession of a gun, on Sunday night at 9pm.

The nineteen-year-old had appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court on August 16, charged with malicious wounding and GBH, in relation to an incident that took place in Denmark Hill on April 21.

Had he been remanded in custody, Johnson would not have died, but a judge decided to grant him bail to appear at Inner London Crown Court on September 27.

Witnesses on the Crawford Estate reported a series of arguments involving young black youths throughout last weekend.

It came to a head on Sunday evening, near the football cage on the estate, when Johnson's friend, who claimed he had a gun on him, confronted a rival youth.

Johnson was said to have been stabbed in the leg as he stepped up in support of his pal. Covered in blood, he staggered over Lowth Road in the direction of his home in Baldock House, but only got as far as Barnet House, where he collapsed and died.

He was taken to King's College Hospital and was pronounced dead at 10.15pm.

Christine McQueenie, a resident on the estate for 30 years, used to look after Johnson when he was a youngster. "I'd known him for many, many years," she said. "He was the same age as my daughter and I used to take him to school at St Joseph's Catholic Infants' School in Pitman Street.

"It's so sad. I was looking at my grandson as he was playing on the playstation the other day and for that moment it was like looking at Edvin when he was at school.

"He used to be such a sweet, little boy. I don't know what he was up to but it's all very sad.

"As a tenants' association we have tried to stop gangs being on the estate. We have meetings once a month but we still see young boys hanging around.

"This has been waiting to happen.

“When my three children were growing up we fought hard for years to get the cage decent and we finally got a beautiful cage for the estate.

"Young people often say they don't have much to do but they could have played basketball and football in there. That's what it was meant for.  Instead they used it to argue about guns and knives and now somebody has died.

"I feel so much for his mum because it is horrible when it happens to someone you know.

"Edvin has an older brother who is such a sweet boy. It is terrible."

Police have made no arrests and are desperate for witnesses to come forward. An incident room has opened at Belgravia under DCI Steven Lawrence.

He said: "We are still in the process of trying to piece together the exact circumstances which have led to a man losing his life.

"We understand that the victim was with a friend on the Crawford Estate at the time of the attack. I would urge members of the local community to contact the incident room with any information that they may have."

Anyone with information should contact the Incident Room on 020 7321 9251; if you wish to remain anonymous please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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