Three men sentenced for murder following complex investigation

Three violent men will serve a collective total of 68 years in prison after they were convicted of murder, following a Met investigation which spanned the continent.

Detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime Unit were industrious in piecing together the circumstances of the murder of Gregory Catillo Volquez, with officers analysing hours of CCTV footage and gathering forensic evidence to locate, extradite and arrest the defendants.

On Wednesday, 20 May, at the end of an eight-week trial in Southwark Crown Court, Benito Ramirez Kones, 20, and 22-year-old Carlos Akum Metumbe, of Spain, were convicted of murder alongside Italian national, Luiggi Perelli Santana, 22. They were sentenced at the same court today, Friday, 4 September.

Gregory, who was only 36 when he was killed, was tragically pronounced dead in the middle of a north London street around 05:00hrs on Monday, 13 January 2025.

Gregory had been out with his friends in south London before they travelled north, where he was attacked in Tiverton Road, Haringey.

In a victim impact statement read out to the court, Gregory’s partner, Teresa said: “We have a daughter, a little girl, who misses her dad. She asks for him, she still expects to see him coming back. She needs his hugs, his words, and his presence. It is very painful to see a little girl suffering the absence of her father and how she tries to understand why he is not with us. They robbed her of the opportunity to grow up beside him, to share her birthdays, graduations and all the important moments of her life.

She added: “This tragedy not only destroyed our lives, but also broke the heart of a mother, who lost her only son. There are no words that can describe the suffering of this mother who had to say goodbye to her son in such a cruel and unjust way. Our family has been marked forever.”

The investigation

The investigation found that Gregory did not know the three men who carried out the violent attack, and the motive of the attack still remains unclear.

Of the three, Kones was detained five days after the attack in Swansea. Kones’ trainers, which were seen on CCTV, were seized upon arrest and forensic evidence confirmed they were covered in traces of Gregory’s blood.

While two of the three killers, Metumbe and Santana, did succeed in leaving the country, the pair were traced to Spain and were respectively extradited by Met officers in August and October 2025.

Both Metumbe and Santana were captured on CCTV reigning blows on Gregory with a machete and crutch.

Gregory’s post-mortem examination stated that he had 22 stab wounds - many of which were caused by a long knife - as well as bruises that were caused by a blunt object. Forensic evidence supported the footage and Santana’s bloody fingerprints were identified on both the crutch and large knife.

Detective Inspector Jim Barry, who led the investigation, said: “Our thoughts go to Gregory’s loved ones who have demonstrated commendable togetherness and strength throughout this turbulent process. I know nothing will bring him home but am hopeful that this result offers justice and closure for his family, who have been left without a much-loved dad, brother, and son.

“Our team of officers showed huge tenacity to build a solid case with undisputable forensic evidence which resulted in these violent men being taken off our streets for a long, long time. It’s this hard work that is enabling the force to secure a positive outcome from 95 per cent of our murder investigations.”

The three men and their date of birth and address are listed below. Their individual sentences are referenced below:

Benito Ramirez Kones, 21 (27.06.2005) of De Beauvoir Estate, Hackney received a life sentence – to serve a minimum of 23 years.

Carlos Akum Metumbe, 22 (05.03.2004) of Lower Clapton Road, Hackney received a life sentence – to serve a minimum of 22 years.

Luiggi Perelli Santana, 22 (31.03.2004) of Brixton Hill, Lambeth received a life sentence – to serve a minimum of 23 years.

A fourth man was found not guilty.