Moment London knife victim, 22, buys drinks for his killers before they stab him to death in street
5 April 2025, 18:05
Two men have been jailed for life for murdering a former friend who they stabbed to death in a street ambush in south London.
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Keahn Williams, 20, of Coulsdon, and Kai Nelson-Palmer, 17, of Croydon were found guilty of murdering Lucas Sutton, 22.
He was lured to his death in Croydon in May 2023.
The convictions and sentences can now be reported following the lifting of reporting restrictions.
Lucas as tricked into meeting up with Williams and Nelson-Palmer at a flat in Croydon. He walked to the shop with his attackers where he bought them drinks, before he was fatally stabbed in a nearby street by Williams, who suddenly produced a knife and stabbed him.
London murder victim buying drinks for his killers
Mr Sutton tried to flee but was stabbed again before he rushed into a nearby pub and asked for help, where he collapsed.
He died in hospital a short time later.
Williams was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years, while Nelson-Palmer received a minimum of 16 years.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who led the investigation, said: “The evidence gathered and presented to the jury built up a clear picture of a plot to lure Lucas to an address in Croydon, act as if nothing was wrong, and then violently attack him.
“Lucas and one of the defendants had been friends but in the minds of the group, Lucas had crossed them by attempting to get rid of a firearm he had been holding onto. This perceived betrayal was the motivation for this deadly attack.
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“It is clear in the weeks leading up to the murder that Lucas realised he was in danger but he did not suspect it was from those he thought of as his friends.
“This was a pre-meditated, callous act that has left Lucas’s family and friends utterly devastated. While those responsible have been held to account for their actions, I know this will do little to ease the unbearable pain Lucas’s loved ones continue to endure.”
Detectives said analysis of Nelson-Palmer’s phone revealed the plotting between the attackers in the days leading up to the murder, with Snapchat messages clearly showing their intentions.
The pair were arrested in the week after the killing.
