Three men have been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a combined minimum term of 68 years, for the murder of 36-year-old Gregory Catillo Volquez in North London. Benito Ramirez Kones, 20, Carlos Akum Metumbe, 22, and Italian national Luiggi Perelli Santana, 22, were convicted of murder on Friday, September 4, following an eight-week trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Mr Volquez was attacked in Tiverton Road, Haringey, in the early hours of Monday, January 13, 2025, shortly before 5am. He had been enjoying a night out with friends in south London before travelling north, where he was ambushed by the trio. CCTV footage showed two of the men wielding a machete and a crutch, with Mr Volquez being stabbed 22 times and repeatedly beaten with the crutch. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Sentences and convictions
Kones, of Hackney, received a minimum term of 23 years; Metumbe, also from Hackney, received a minimum of 22 years; and Santana, of Lambeth, received a minimum of 23 years. A fourth man was found not guilty.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Gregory’s partner, Teresa, said: “We have a daughter, a little girl, who misses her dad. She asks for him, she still expects to see him coming back. She needs his hugs, his words, and his presence.” She added: “It is very painful to see a little girl suffering the absence of her father and how she tries to understand why he is not with us. They robbed her of the opportunity to grow up beside him, to share her birthdays, graduations and all the important moments of her life.”
Investigation and forensic evidence
The investigation established that Gregory did not know his attackers, and the motive for the attack remains unclear. Kones was detained five days after the attack in Swansea; his trainers, seen on CCTV, were seized upon arrest, and forensic evidence confirmed they were covered in traces of Gregory’s blood.
Metumbe and Santana had fled the country but were traced to Spain and extradited by Met officers in August and October 2025 respectively. Both were captured on CCTV repeatedly raining down blows on Gregory with a machete and crutch. The post-mortem examination recorded 22 stab wounds, many caused by a long knife, as well as bruises from a blunt object. Santana’s bloody fingerprints were identified on both the crutch and the large knife.
Police response
Detective Inspector Jim Barry, who led the investigation, said: “Our thoughts go to Gregory’s loved ones who have demonstrated commendable togetherness and strength throughout this turbulent process. I know nothing will bring him home but am hopeful that this result offers justice and closure for his family, who have been left without a much-loved dad, brother, and son.” He added: “Our team of officers showed huge tenacity to build a solid case with undisputable forensic evidence which resulted in these violent men being taken off our streets for a long, long time. It’s this hard work that is enabling the force to secure a positive outcome from 95 per cent of our murder investigations.”
The three men will serve their minimum terms before being eligible for parole, and the case highlights the Metropolitan Police’s success rate in solving murder investigations.
