Chase Griffith, 22, of Ashfield Parade in Southgate, north London, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday (January 12) where he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing 28-year-old Sam Brown.
The court heard that Griffith and Sam had attended a party with around 150 people in Cheney Row Park in Walthamstow on the night of Saturday (July 23) in 2022.
A few hours later, on July 24, a man was reportedly stabbed and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Griffith, the court were told, believing Sam to be responsible for the stabbing, shot him in the street in a fit of perceived revenge.
Sam staggered into his car and drove a short distance before losing consciousness. He was rushed to the hospital where he died of injuries.
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Griffith fled the scene and was believed to have travelled to the Southgate area. Met Police said he disposed of the tracksuit he was wearing to cover his tracks after arriving at home.
On July 27, they said Griffith boarded a flight to Saint Lucia from Gatwick airport. He had changed his appearance including his distinctive hairstyle when he arrived at the airport, the force claimed.
They further revealed that Griffith remained in Saint Lucia until he returned to the same airport on December 8 after being extradited.
Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen who led the probe said this was a “long and painstaking investigation” by Met Police officers who were assisted by their colleagues from the National Crime Agency.
He said: “I am very grateful for their assistance with the extradition of Griffith.
“Thanks to diligent detective work, using CCTV and other forensic evidence, a watertight case was built against Griffith allowing his arrest and extradition back to the UK to face justice.
“My thoughts today are with Sam’s family who have my deepest sympathy.”
He said that although several people were at the party and many witnessed the shooting, people were reluctant to come forward and speak to police.
Officers, he said, through forensic CCTV analysis and a probe of the mobile data, were able to conclusively prove Griffith was the person responsible for the murder.
He added: “I am pleased that the hard work of the investigating team has paid off and a dangerous individual has been held to account for this callous murder”.
Sam’s family said following the trail that they will never have any closure to what really happened to their son that night.
“We all have to move on with our lives as we know that’s what Sam would want us to do. He will always be our angel and never forgotten”, they added.
