Man jailed for carrying out murder in south London car park

A man has been jailed for life for fatally stabbing his victim during an unprovoked attack in a Battersea car park two years ago.

Earl Morin-Briton, 36 (22.01.87), of Rosehill, Sutton was found guilty on Friday, 6 June of murdering 32-year-old Theo Porteous and possession of a knife following a trial at Kingston Crown Court.

At his sentencing on Monday, 9 June he was jailed for life to serve a minimum of 27 years.

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, from Specialist Crime South, who led the investigation, said: “My thoughts remain with Theo’s family and friends who have had to sit in court and re-live the devastating events of that day. Nothing will ever bring Theo back to them but I do hope this outcome will give them some sense of closure.

“Morin-Briton murdered Theo in an unprovoked and senseless attack in broad daylight. Theo was simply sitting in his car when Morin-Briton approached him, saying something which caused Theo to get out of the vehicle. What he was tragically unaware of was that the defendant had in his possession a large knife which he then used to stab Theo numerous times.

“Our investigation combined solid detective work with crucial CCTV evidence - enabling us to get justice for Theo’s family and take a very dangerous individual off the streets.”

The court heard that at around 12.35hrs on Saturday, 24 August 2023 Theo was sat in the car park of a block of flats in Nine Elms, Battersea when Morin-Briton approached his vehicle and spoke to him through the open driver’s window. Theo got out of the vehicle and was immediately confronted by Morin-Briton who pulled a knife from his shorts and stabbed him three times – to his face, neck and back.

Members of the public witnessed the attack, and once Morin-Briton left the scene, they rushed to Theo’s aid. Despite their best efforts, and those of the Metropolitan Police officers and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service who were called to the scene, Theo sadly died from his injuries.

Detectives launched an immediate investigation, trawling through hours of CCTV. The attack on Theo was captured in full on CCTV, and further footage was obtained from a variety of locations, including buses and trains to track Morin-Briton's movements that day.

After identifying him through their enquiries, officers launched a manhunt and Morin-Briton was arrested just over a week later – on 1 September – at an address in Norwood. He was charged the following day.