An 18-year-old male Elijah Gookol-Mely, has been detained for life after being found guilty of murdering and robbing 17-year-old Victor Lee from North Acton in 2023.
Gookol-Mely from Australia Road in Shepherds Bush was sentenced today (19 July 2024) following a trial at the Old Bailey last month and will serve a minimum of twenty years in prison.
Police were called at 5:45pm on 25 June 2023 to reports of a male in the canal under Scrubs Lane, W10 suffering from stab injuries.
Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene. Victor was pulled from the water and despite the efforts of the emergency services he was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:09pm.
A post-mortem examination on 28 June 2023 gave the cause of death as a stab wounds.
Two other teenagers, aged 14 and 15 at the time of the attack, were found not guilty of murder and robbery following the conclusion of the trial.
A knife was recovered from Gookol-Mely’s home address, on which Victor’s blood and the defendant’s DNA was found.
Detectives established that robbery was the motive for the brutal attack with Gookol-Mely stealing Victor’s bike and his rucksack, which officers believe contained a number of knives.
Victor had met his killer having developed an interest in buying weapons online which he wished to sell for profit. Officers believe that Victor did not fully understand the harm that others could cause with the weapons that he appeared to enjoy trading.
The Met’s homicide investigation, led by Specialist Crime Command detectives, made rapid progress, and Gookol-Mely was arrested along with two other teenagers on 30 June 2023. Officers charged each of them the following day with murder and robbery.
Victor’s family have issued statements on their loss:
Victor’s mother said: “In June 2023, my whole life immediately changed, the very meaning of life was shaken…. There was only emptiness and darkness around me. Victor was a child of love, loved by many people who valued him. Victor lives on in my heart, and in the hearts of those who love him.”
Victor’s father, said: “The death of Victor is like a festering wound that you try to keep clean but won’t heal. We will never have him back, be able to have a discussion about family or life or the world. We will never be able to celebrate his future achievements and life moments, nor will we have closure. I do not believe we have been served by the court system or had justice for the killing of our son Victor. We will have to live with that for the rest of our lives.”
Victor’s sister, said: “My only brother played an integral role in shaping my childhood, serving not only as a sibling but as a best friend. Our shared memories, from playful adventures on holiday to heartfelt conversations, are now my cherished memories that I rely on in his absence; memories I thought we could bond over once we grow old and our parents pass away. The once lively atmosphere of our home has been replaced by an eerie silence. Of course, there was typical sibling rivalry but in my darkest days, Victor was always there to accompany, console and support me which is something I deeply miss, particularly as I face the future without him. I go to bed at night thinking about Victor’s last moments and what he must have felt, cold and alone, deep in that canal with unimaginable pain all over his body.”
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, the senior investigating officer who led the investigation said: “Victor was a 17-year-old young man who was not directly involved with gangs or criminality. He had his life ahead of him and his family have been torn apart by what happened to him, in the most shocking, brutal and disturbing circumstances.
“During the trial Victor’s family listened to deeply traumatising evidence of the violent acts committed against him. No sentence can ever bring Victor back or compensate for the loss of a son, brother and friend, but I and my team are glad to see that the term handed down today means that Elijah Gookol-Mely will spend 20 years in prison, where he cannot destroy another family.”
The lack of remorse shown was demonstrated by a notebook recovered from Gookol-Mely’s prison cell in December 2023, while he was on remand awaiting trial.
The court heard that this contained some handwritten verses, starting: “Everyone on at the 8pm news, ITV, Sky, BBC; Broadcasting the stabbing I done. The people that knew me changed their views. I tried my best to leave no clues. My door got boomed my mum’s confused. No I don’t feel sorry for the yute.’ A later verses includes the lines: “On the phone I’m saying I’m innocent; hop of (sic) the call then laugh in my cell. Aye officer no I didn’t kill him; just stabbed him sent him heaven or hell.”
