A man has been jailed after he was found guilty of stabbing his cousin to death.
Jerome Bailey, 40 of Victor Road, Teddington, was found guilty of murdering his cousin, Tesfa Campbell, 40.
He was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years following a hearing at Croydon Crown Court on April 1.
During Bailey’s trial the court was told how he attacked his cousin at 2.45pm on July 3, 2019 on Latchmere Road, Battersea.
Bailey stabbed his cousin in the stomach after the pair had been seen walking down Burns Road. Campbell later died in hospital despite efforts from members of the public to save his life.
On July 7, 2019, police officers arrested Bailey at a property in Teddington and found two yellow plastic drawstring bags, similar to the one his cousin had been seen carrying on the day of his death.
In one of the bags officers found an Oyster card that Bailey used to make his journey from Teddington to Battersea.
The court heard how the cousins had once been close, with Mr Campbell willing in the past to help Bailey out, for example by lending him money.
However, this had recently begun to change with Mr Campbell telling other family members he “had reached the point where he was going to cut Bailey off.”
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie said: “I am pleased that Jerome Bailey has finally been sentenced for this horrific attack on Tesfa Campbell.
“The delays in concluding this case have extended the pain that Tesfa’s family and friends have had to endure but I can only hope that this 18-year prison sentence helps them all in some way.
“Bailey has never confirmed why this meeting between the two cousins ended with Tesfa losing his life at the hands of another family member. However, it is clear that Bailey’s violent attack had devastating consequences which will continue to have an impact on many people’s lives for years to come.”