A man has been found guilty of murdering another tenant in a shared residence following a conflict—after law enforcement recovered CCTV evidence showing him covered in blood shortly after the incident.
On Monday, December 8, a jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted Javan Lee, 38, of Sussex Road, Harrow, for the murder of 48-year-old Corey Graham, which occurred on Friday, October 31, 2024.
Circumstances of the Murder
Both Lee and Mr. Graham resided in the same houseshare on Sussex Road, Harrow. Police were summoned to the location on Thursday, October 30, after Mr. Graham was discovered with multiple stab wounds in the front garden of the property, having been stabbed twelve times.
Detective Sergeant Matt Russell from Specialist Crime North Homicide, who led the investigation, commented: “Our thoughts today are with the family of Mr. Graham, who lost a loved one in such brutal circumstances—following an apparently trivial dispute between the men.”
“During the investigation, officers recovered CCTV footage of Lee walking along nearby residential streets just after the murder, covered in blood and carrying a knife. This graphically demonstrates his brazenness.”
Investigation and Arrest
Lee was characterized by the detective as showing cowardice and contempt towards his victim. Despite efforts to conceal his involvement, evidence obtained by investigators established his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Police responded to the scene at approximately 16:50 hours on October 30, 2024, consulting with the London Ambulance Service after a third tenant at the houseshare contacted emergency services upon discovering Mr. Graham with severe injuries.
Upon arrival, officers found the victim suffering from serious stab wounds and transported him to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on October 31.
At the scene, officers encountered Lee, who initially provided a false name and denied any involvement in the stabbing. He was instructed to remain in his bedroom but managed to escape through a window.
After a six-hour search, Lee returned to the residence, where police took him into custody. He continued to deny any connection to the attack on Mr. Graham. Nevertheless, officers had already gained entry to his room and identified him correctly. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Evidence and Charges
While Lee remained silent during police questioning, investigators obtained CCTV footage from nearby properties that displayed his actions immediately following the stabbing. The footage depicted him walking through adjoining residential streets in broad daylight, clad in blood-stained clothing and carrying the weapon used to stab Mr. Graham. Police later recovered the murder weapon in nearby Pinner View.
After disposing of the knife, Lee returned to the Sussex Road houseshare, where he proceeded to wash his clothes in the washing machine. This series of actions transpired within a ten-minute window between the stabbing and the police’s arrival on the scene.
Messages retrieved from both the suspect’s and victim’s devices indicated a dispute had occurred between them—with Mr. Graham reaching out to the property management to complain about Lee’s untidiness mere minutes before he was fatally attacked. Concurrently, Lee had also called emergency services to report an issue with Mr. Graham.
Bildquelle: Bildquelle: Benjamin Davies auf Unsplash
