They stabbed Siafa 13 times and then strolled off to the pub

Late on a sunny April afternoon last year, David Walcott and Rammon Mali, together with a third man, strolled down Surrey Street, still busy at the end of the market day, then crossed Croydon High Street and popped into the Spread Eagle pub, where they went to the bar and ordered three pints of Guinness. They paid with a £20 note.

As they started their stouts, they phoned for a taxi, but they walked out of the pub on to Katharine Street, leaving their drinks unfinished, when bar staff asked them to remove their hats, as it was against house rules.

It was the only time Walcott and Mali obeyed any rules that afternoon, as just a few minutes earlier they had left Rijkaard Siafa bleeding to death after attacking him viciously with a machete and knives on Fellmongers Yard, just off Croydon’s ancient street market.

Siafa was just 22 when he was killed.

The details of the murderers’ callous disregard for their victim in the minutes after their attack on Siafa emerged during their five-week trial at the Old Bailey, which ended yesterday with Walcott and Mali found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict.

A third man wanted by the police in connection with Siafa’s murder, Jordan Vincent, remains at large, possibly out of the country. The Met have offered a £10,000 reward for information that leads to Vincent’s arrest.

After the guilty verdicts, Judge Anuja Dhir KC addressed Siafa’s family in court, acknowledging their loss and the “horrible situation” in which they found themselves, seeing the CCTV footage collated from around the time of his killing.

Judge Dhir said “it is quite brave to watch it”, adding: “I hope this trial brings some form of closure to those who are in court before me today.”

As Inside Croydon first reported, the best efforts of market workers and emergency services could not save Siafa from dying from the wounds he sustained in the attack. Siafa was stabbed at least 13 times, and suffered two significant wounds, one to his chest.

David Walcott, 35, of Turle Road, Norbury and Rammon Mali, 33, of Valley Road, were both found guilty of the murder of Rijkaard Siafa, with Walcott also found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon.

In court, Walcott and Mali admitted being at the scene of the attack but denied being involved in the stabbing – with Walcott claiming he had only come across a knife in Fellmongers Yard. No one on the jury believed them.

As part of the investigation, police officers viewed more than 100 hours of CCTV footage which enabled them to identify Walcott and Mali.

The court heard that on the day of the murder, Siafa had been at a friend’s flat near Fellmongers Yard before leaving to meet his partner. Within minutes, he had been left to die in the street.

CCTV was played to the jury showing Walcott and Mali together with a third man, searching the streets before the attack.

The group was then filmed heading towards Fellmongers Yard, where they came across their victim. Anthony Orchard KC, for the prosecution, said Siafa “immediately turned and ran”, heading back in the direction he came from, with the three men giving chase.

Twenty seconds later, the three were filmed running out of the yard in front of a crowd who had gathered in the fruit and veg market on Surrey Street. The CCTV showed Walcott appearing to hold a knife in his hand.

One eye witness said he had seen Siafa on the ground trying to protect himself as one attacker stabbed him twice to the chest, before seeing the crowd and running off.

In evidence, the witness said the stabber appeared to be the tallest of the three attackers – the prosecution alleged this was Mali.

What the Met Police have described as “a fast-paced manhunt” was launched. The police tracked Walcott to an address on Lewin Road, off Streatham High Road. He was arrested on Friday April 19, a week after the murder, and charged the following day.

His accomplice, Mali, after leaving his unfinished Guinness, booked a flight and fled the country on the Tuesday after the attack, April 16. But he was arrested at Gatwick Airport when he flew back into Britain on May 5. He was charged the following day.

When Walcott was arrested, he told police: “I’m not a murderer, bro. I didn’t kill nobody.”

Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Our thoughts very much remain with Rijkaard’s family and friends, who had to re-live the last traumatic moments of his young life during the trial after the defendants failed to take responsibility for their actions.

“The defendants acted together, as a team. They had been looking for Rijkaard during the afternoon of Friday, April 12 and when they found him, they viciously attacked him. He didn’t stand a chance.”

They are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey at a later date.

Jordan Vincent remains wanted for murder. “Even though Walcott and Mali have been convicted for the murder of Rijkaard, our investigation continues,” DCI Townsend said.

“Rijkaard was only 22 and had his full life ahead of him – our team remains resolute in helping them secure justice and need the public’s help to do so.

“I am grateful to all those who have come forward so far but we are appealing to people to dig deep into their consciences to help us locate Jordon Vincent. If you have any information – no matter how insignificant you think it might be – I would urge you to get in contact as this could prove to be crucial.”

From our archive: ‘Our failure can be read on the headstones of dead youth’

Inside Croydon has moved to Bluesky. Click here to join us there for latest updates and insights

Check out our archive of podcasts on Spotify, including our monthly news discussion panel show thingy, the Croydon Insider, and The Andrew Fisher Interview

Inside Croydon – If you want real journalism, delivering real news, from a publication that is actually based in the borough, please consider paying for it. Sign up today: click here for more details

If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com

As featured on Google News Showcase

We offer FREE ads to community groups when they have members who are paid subscribers to Inside Croydon

Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here