Three men convicted of murder following a meticulous investigation by the Met

Three men have been convicted of the murder of a teenager after denying they ever met him.

Keith Preddie, 34 (11.06.1991) of Feltham, Daniel Matos, 23 (27.04.2002) of Hounslow and Joshua Cowley, 29 (08.11.1996) of Hounslow appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, 27 February, where following a five-week trial, were all found guilty of murder.

Thanks to the efforts of Met detectives, the trio were brought to justice for their role in the tragic death of 19-year-old Tyler Donnelly, who was stabbed in Hanworth Park, Feltham.

The conviction comes as the Met reaffirms its commitment to tackling knife crime and serious violence, with officers taking thousands of weapons off London’s streets in the last year alone.

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, from the Metropolitan Police Service, said:

“My thoughts and those of my team remain with the family of Tyler, who have all been deeply affected by the senseless violence that night. Tyler’s family have had to sit in court and listen to every harrowing detail of how he was stabbed and left to die alone.

“Each of the defendants had their role to play and committed acts of horrific violence. My team worked tirelessly over many months, painstakingly gathering evidence to ensure that the three men were brought to justice.

"This case also shows the devastating impact that drugs have on our communities and the link with serious violence. It’s why we’re so committed to tackling drugs supply, which we know rips families like Tyler’s apart.”

The investigation

An investigation was launched on Thursday, 25 January 2024, after officers were called to Hanworth Park, Feltham at 07:40hrs following reports a man being found unresponsive.

Tyler was located with multiple injuries, including a stab wound to the neck. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

A murder investigation was launched with detectives reviewing hours of CCTV from the area. Tyler could be seen entering the park shortly after 21:00hrs on Wednesday, 24 January. Preddie, Matos and Cowley were then captured cycling into the park and exiting a short while afterwards.

Data collected from Matos’ electronic tag also confirmed him to be in the location that Tyler’s body was found.

All three were arrested on Sunday, 28 January, with officers locating a hoodie in Matos’ room which was stained with the victim’s blood. During interview, all three denied ever meeting Tyler. They were charged on Tuesday, 30 January with murder and remanded into custody.

Background

A trial began at the Old Bailey on Monday, 6 January which resulted in a hung jury after 22 hours of deliberation. A retrial began on Monday, 19 January, concluding on Friday, 27 February with all defendants found guilty of murder.

All three will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, 17 March.