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A complex international manhunt spanning across continental Europe has culminated in the murder convictions of three men at Southwark Crown Court, following the fatal stabbing of a father-of-two in North London. The judicial breakthrough shifts the public focus firmly toward the upcoming sentencing phase on Friday, 10 July, marking a definitive transition from investigation to formal penal accountability.
The conviction follows an exhaustive eight-week trial that meticulously reconstructed the final hours of Gregory Castillo Volquez, a 36-year-old national of the Dominican Republic. Investigations revealed that the victim, a much-loved father, son, and brother, had spent the preceding evening visiting venues across Brixton and Elephant and Castle with a companion. The journey concluded tragically in Haringey, where an ambush awaited him outside a block of flats on Tiverton Road, Tottenham.
At approximately 5:00 AM on 13 January 2025, Metropolitan Police officers responded to reports of a violent knife fight unfolding within a localized alleyway. Medical first responders discovered the victim with catastrophic injuries; a subsequent post-mortem examination confirmed he had sustained twenty-two stab wounds, primarily inflicted by a large blade, alongside severe blunt-force trauma.
The subsequent investigation by the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Unit unraveled a coordinated attack involving individuals known to the victim. Local CCTV footage captured the definitive moments of the assault, showing Carlos Akum Metumbe and Italian national Luiggi Perelli Santana using a machete and a crutch to inflict the fatal injuries.
The judicial process relied heavily on indisputable forensic evidence gathered by specialist teams. Benito Ramirez Kones, of the De Beauvoir Estate in Hackney, was apprehended by police in Swansea five days after the incident, where analysis identified traces of the victim's blood on his footwear. Meanwhile, Metumbe, of Lower Clapton Road in Hackney, and Santana, of Brixton Hill in Lambeth, fled the jurisdiction to mainland Spain, triggering an international coordination effort that resulted in their formal extradition back to the United Kingdom in August and October 2025. Forensic investigators later matched Santana's fingerprints directly to the recovered weapons. A fourth co-defendant, Gabriel Pineda Gonzales, was acquitted of all charges by the jury.
Speaking after the verdicts, Detective Inspector Jim Barry, who led the specialized homicide investigation, emphasized the scale of the enforcement effort required to bring the case to a successful resolution. He stated to journalists that the dedicated team demonstrated immense tenacity to construct an unassailable forensic framework, ensuring violent individuals were successfully removed from public spaces. He further noted that such structured methodologies have enabled the police service to secure successful outcomes in 95 percent of current homicide investigations, expressing hope that the verdicts provide a measure of justice to the grieving family.
In a collective statement delivered to journalists during the proceedings, the family of the victim expressed deep devastation, describing him as a deeply cherished parent and sibling whose sudden absence has left an irreparable void within their lives. All three convicted individuals have been remanded in custody. The case will return to Southwark Crown Court in July, where a High Court judge will determine the mandatory life sentences and minimum terms for each defendant.
A version of this original investigative report will appear in the upcoming print edition of the Daily Dazzling Dawn.
