Robbers convicted of murdering tourist after following him from party mansion

South Wales Guardian

2 days ago

Antonis Antoniadis, 26, was targeted after he left 32 Portland Place nightclub, in Marylebone, west London.
Following an Old Bailey trial, Shian Johnson, 26, Sofian Alliche, 20, his brother Amin Alliche, 18, Joshua McCorquodale, 20, and Alfie Hipple, 18, all from Camden, north London, were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to rob.
The defendants were taken down from the dock after one of them reacted with an angry outburst, accusing the jury of 'ruining' his life.
The jury had deliberated for more than 14 hours to reach its unanimous verdicts, with one of them leaving court in tears.
Judge Rebecca Trowler KC adjourned sentencing until October 3.
The court heard how Greek printing firm office worker Mr Antoniadis had come on holiday to London for a week with two friends called Maria and Tia.
They ended up at the 32 Portland Place nightclub in Marylebone in the early hours of July 7, jurors were told.
The venue, owned by Edward 'Fast Eddie' Davenport, came to public attention when it hosted OnlyFans personality Bonnie Blue in her attempt to sleep with more than 1,000 men in 12 hours.
On the evening before the murder, the robbers followed a yellow Lamborghini and a Mercedes car before fixing on the victim, who was carrying a Lacoste man bag and wearing a designer Versace watch.
Mr Antoniadis and his two female friends did not leave Portland Place until after 8am and had booked an Uber to get back to a friend's address in New Cross, south-east London, where they were staying.
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC said the tourists had no idea that the young men hanging around outside the nightclub in a stolen car were on the lookout for someone to rob.
He said: 'It seems that when that group of five saw Antonis come out of the club, those robbers thought they had found a suitable target.
'So when they saw him come out and get into his Uber, they, in their stolen car, followed him.'
The defendants trailed the Uber car for more than half an hour to its destination on the opposite side of London, the court heard.
As one of Mr Antoniadis's friends struggled to find the door key upon arriving at the address, he was approached by four figures in hoods and balaclavas.
The fifth member of the gang acted as the getaway driver, jurors were told.
Mr Antoniadis managed to hit one of the robbers with a brandy bottle as the group tried to grab his man bag.
Mr Emlyn Jones said: 'Tragically, whether it was brave or whether it was just an instinctive response, that reaction was to cost him his life.'
The victim was punched and kicked and then stabbed in the chest and thigh, severing his femoral artery.
The attackers, at least two of whom were carrying large knives, then fled the scene in the getaway car, leaving the victim bleeding heavily.
Mr Antoniadis was treated at the scene and taken to hospital where attempts were made to save his life, but he died from his injuries on July 21 last year.
The car used by the robbers – a stolen Kia Sportage with false number plates – was captured on CCTV and the defendants were also linked through cell site data.
Jurors heard McCorquodale had convictions in 2022 for conspiracy to rob and robbery relating to mobile phone snatching and trying to take an electric bicycle with an accomplice.
When police searched his home they found a machete, a Zombie knife and two balaclavas.
Both McCorquodale and Johnson denied being present at the time of the murder, saying they left earlier that evening.
Within days of the murder, Johnson and his girlfriend had taken a flight to Cancun in Mexico and booked into an all-inclusive hotel resort and spa. They failed to return on their scheduled flight back to Gatwick on July 24.
Four days later, police were waiting at Gatwick airport and they boarded a flight that arrived from Madrid to arrest Johnson on suspicion of murder.
Johnson had a conviction for possessing a knife in Camden High Street in 2015, and a machete and balaclava were found at his home.
The court heard Sofian Alliche had a previous conviction for robbing a man on Regent's Canal towpath in 2019.
In a search of the Alliche brothers' home, officers seized two balaclavas, a Louis Vuitton man bag, a large sword and drug paraphernalia.
Amin Alliche admitted being the driver but claimed he did not leave the car at the scene of the murder, as did his sibling Sofian.
Hipple admitted leaving the car in New Cross but claimed to be unaware of the robbery and had only taken a mobile phone in an opportunistic theft.
Jurors heard he had a conviction in 2022 for possessing an offensive weapon in public relating to a police stop in which he was found with a knife in a sheath tucked into his waistband.
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, Specialist Crime South, said: 'Antonis had been visiting from Greece with friends. Very tragically he never made it home to his family.
'This was a particularly challenging and complex case given the lack of CCTV at the scene and the movement of the vehicle, which had been driven by the defendants continuously throughout the night of July 6 and into the following afternoon.
'I would like to thank in particular Antonis' friends, who had witnessed his brutal murder and returned to the UK to give their evidence.
'I would also like to thank the witnesses who came forward and helped us to understand what had happened to Antonis.
'I am pleased our concerted efforts to find those responsible has enabled us to achieve justice for Antonis' loved ones, family, and friends.'