A man who stabbed and killed a former friend in an unprovoked attack has been jailed for life.
Simeon Scott-Wasey, 25, of Downes Road, Mitcham, was found guilty on October 2 of murdering Nicholas Stewart, 25, after attacking him in Tooting and was told he must serve a minimum term of 28 years imprisonment.
The court heard how Scott-Wasey, in the company of three other men, took a mini-cab to the pitch where Nicholas was playing football at around 8.45pm on August 13 2014.
Scott-Wasey and Nicholas had been friends for a number of years but had fallen out with each other in the previous months.
Witnesses recounted how Scott-Wasey approached Nicholas and stabbed him in the chest.
Nicholas collapsed to the ground and Scott-Wasey and the three other men fled from the scene on foot.
Paramedics worked to save Nicholas’s life but he was pronounced dead at the scene at 9.24pm.
A post-mortem examination carried out at St George’s Hospital on August 14 revealed Nicholas had died from stab wounds to the leg and chest.
Detectives traced Scott-Wasey to an address in West Drayton that evening and he was arrested on suspicion of murdering Nicholas Stewart.
When asked about the attack, Scott-Wasey made no comment. He was charged with Nicholas’s murder the following day.
Detective Inspector Dave Blair, of the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “Nicholas Stewart was subjected to a savage sustained attack at the hands of Scott-Wasey, which took place in front of crowd of horrified local residents.
“This sentence reflects the severity with which the courts take knife-enabled crime, and sends a clear message to those who use and carry weapons that they can expect to receive a substantial custodial sentence.
“I would also like to express my admiration of the family of the victim who have shown tremendous resilience, fortitude and support for the investigation both during the course of this the enquiry and this difficult trial.”
