Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Teenager guilty of murdering 17-year-old boy
VICTIM WAS STABBED AND PUSHED INTO CANAL
AN 18-YEAR-OLD boy has been found guilty of murder and robbery of a 17-year-old.
Victor Lee, from North Acton, died after being stabbed by Elijah Gookol-Mely, 18, and pushed into the Grand Union Canal, in Scrubs Lane, on June 25, 2023. Victor was rescued from the water by locals before having emergency aid applied, but he died at the scene.
Gookol-Mely was arrested five days later after detectives went through an extensive analysis of mobile phones, CCTV and other evidence at the scene.
A knife was also recovered from Gookol-Mely’s home which had Victor’s blood on it.
Detectives established that the motive behind the attack was robbery, with Gookol-Mely stealing Victor’s bike and rucksack, which police believe contained a number of knives.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, the senior investigating officer who led the investigation, said: “Victor was a young man who was not directly involved with gangs or criminality – he had an interest in buying, fixing and selling bikes.
“He had energy and drive but sadly not enough wisdom. His family have told me that he had an inability to properly assess situations, people or threats.”
He went on to say: “Having previously purchased knives, Victor brought a crossbow online in the days before he was killed, and seems to have sold this to his killer at around 3pm on the day of his murder. He was robbed and murdered when seeking to sell knives to him later that day.”
Victor has been described by his family as shy, introspective, easily manipulated and at risk of being exploited by others. He had met Gookol-Mely to sell him weapons which he bought online and planned to sell.
He managed to buy the weapons online having altered his birth date in his passport. Victor then arranged with Gookol-Mely for him to buy them off him on Snapchat.
Gookol-Mely was found guilty of murdering Victor and robbing him by a majority verdict on Monday, June 17 following a trial at the Old Bailey.
He will be sentenced at the same court on Friday, 19 July.
Two other teenagers, aged 14 and 15 at the time of the attack, were found not guilty.