Man admits manslaughter after Met investigation

A man who carried out a sustained series of violent attacks which ultimately led to the death of a vulnerable man has been convicted of manslaughter. It comes after a tireless investigation by Met detectives.

Thanks to the efforts of Met officers, a dangerous offender who targeted and preyed on vulnerable people has been convicted.

Bamidele Fawehinmi, 33 (26.09.92) of Clissold Close, Haringey pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 5 March to manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm, following the death of 55-year-old Dimitrios Tsavdaris. Fawehinmi is due to be sentenced at the same court on Friday, 8 May.

Investigators worked to build a case of evidence against Fawehinmi and proved he subjected Dimitrios, also known as Jimmy, to a prolonged period of abuse. This was sustained and occurred over a period of weeks, and culminated in Dimitrios’ death on 29 January 2024.

As part of their investigation, detectives collected hundreds of statements and analysed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage. This helped to establish the circumstances leading up to Dimitrios’ death, which showed the defendant had used violence and intimidation to control him.

Detective Superintendent Kelly Allen, who led the Met’s investigation, said:

“I cannot imagine the pain and suffering Dimitrios must have gone through in the final weeks of his life, enslaved by Bamidele Fawehinmi and living in fear for his life.

“Dimitrios was a frail man who did not pose a threat to Fawehinmi. His initial claim in police interview that he acted in self-defence is utterly preposterous, and the words of a coward.

“Fawehinmi is a violent bully, who preyed on vulnerable people to exploit them for his own gain. His conviction will not erase the pain felt by Dimitrios’s family but I hope the fact he will spend a significant period of time behind bars brings them some small sense of justice.

“I would like to thank the members of the public who came forward to give evidence. Their testimony has helped convict this dangerous man.”

Through police work and phone data, officers were able to show how Fawehinmi ran a drugs line and took advantage of vulnerable people to carry out the work. By the autumn of 2023, Dimitrios was being forced to work long hours driving Fawehinmi around delivering drugs. He was living in squalid conditions at Fawehinmi’s home in Wickford, Essex, where he was forced to sleep in a garage with a number of dogs.

On 26 January 2024, Fawehinmi took Dimitrios in a hire car from the address in Orkney Gardens, Wickford, to a flat in Lansdowne Drive, Hackney. Dimitrios had been badly beaten and was effectively clinging to life.

Fawehinmi left him locked inside the flat. When he returned three days later, on 29 January 2024, Dimitrios had died. A post mortem examination found that he had suffered significant injuries, including fractures to the skull on three occasions in the five weeks leading up to his death. Dimitrios weighed around eight and half stone.

The defendant’s first instinct was to cover his tracks and attempt to flee the country. He told his father that he’d seen a dead body at a friend’s house, but refused his father’s request that he call the police and instead booked plane tickets for a flight to Nigeria.

Fawehinmi’s father reported his son’s discovery of the dead body to the police. Officers attended the flat at Landsdowne Drive, Hackney, and found Dimitrios’ body.

On 30 January 2024, officers arrested Fawehinmi in his hire car after the vehicle triggered a numberplate camera on the M11. Inside the car were two suitcases filled with clothing. Fawehinmi told officers that he was travelling to Nigeria to see his grandmother.

A forensic examination of the hire car found Dimitrios’s blood in the vehicle.

The case highlights the Met’s resolve to securing justice on behalf of Londoner’s and the force’s commitment to protecting the public from harm.