A man has been convicted of the murder of Leo Marcus after an attempted robbery in Kidbrooke ended in the 22-year-old being fatally stabbed.

Shackim Purnell-Taylor, 19, of Gunyard Mews, was today (January 10) found guilty of the murder of Mr Marcus following a trial at the Old Bailey, and will be sentenced next Wednesday.

Detective Sergeant Rob Tickle from Specialist Crime South and lead on the investigation described the whole situation as a "horrific tragedy" for him and his family, and "a waste of a promising young life."

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He called Purnell-Taylor an "opportunistic and violent street robber" and said he was pleased with the unanimous guilty verdict reached by the jury.

Cliff Marcus, Leo's father, started a petition following his son's death calling for stricter punishments for those found carrying knives, and the petition saw huge support, reaching 75,000 signatures.

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The court heard how on July 10, 2019, Purnell-Taylor left his house in Greenwich at around 2:30pm, walked to Tellson Avenue and then it's thought he received a call telling him a drugs courier would be attending the area.

Having seen Leo arrive on a bicycle at the location and enter an alleyway off Tellson Avenue, Purnell-Taylor – armed with a knife – followed him and immediately attacked him, injuring him with the knife.

He grabbed Leo from behind, stealing a rucksack from him, before running out of the alleyway and taking Leo’s bike.

But as he tried to cycle off, Leo emerged from the alley and knocked Purnell-Taylor off the bike. A struggle ensued between the two men, during which Purnell-Taylor stabbed Marcus six times.

Purnell-Taylor then fled the scene on foot after picking up Leo's phone, returned home to change clothes and then fled the area.

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Leo reportedly collapsed and called out for help, and was assisted by members of the public until emergency services arrived. He was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries later that evening, and an investigation was launched by homicide detectives.

Following CCTV analysis, Purnell-Taylor was identified as the assailant and was traced to an address in Kennington and arrested on July 14, four days after the attack.

When arrested, Purnell-Taylor had a cut on his hand which he claimed had been done whilst cooking, but the injury had actually been sustained during the fight with Leo.

He refused to answer questions about the incident and said he did not recognise the location when shown images, but CCTV and phone evidence were enough to charge him with Leo's murder.

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Purnell-Taylor previously pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon (the knife) and robbery, and will now be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Janury 15.

Detective Sergeant Tickle said he was pleaded that the jury saw through the defendants claims that he acted in self defence.

"He did no such thing. Leo Marcus died at his hands, the victim of an opportunistic and violent street robber, who I have no doubt set out that day carrying a kitchen knife with every intention of using it and did just that, with devastating consequences.

"I would like to pay tribute to the members of the public and to the emergency services who worked so valiantly in attempting to save Leo's life, and also highlight the dedication and relentlessness of the murder team Detectives who worked tirelessly to bring Purnell-Taylor to justice for Leo's family."