A killer who stabbed a man 24 times in a row over house keys was caught after he tried to flee the country through Gatwick airport.
Violent drug dealer Raekwon Hanniford-Brown was handed a life sentence at Croydon Crown Court on Friday for the murder of 49-year-old family man Errol Mckay - leaving him to die in his own home.
Hanniford-Brown was caught trying to flee the country to Paris from Gatwick Airport just one day after the fatal attack, which left Errol's family in mourning over their beloved "humble, funny and affectionate" son.
Mr Mckay was used by 23-year-old Hanniford-Brown to store drugs inside his flat in Trinity Crescent, Wandsworth, in return for crack cocaine.
The court heard the pair were on friendly terms before the attack, and Hanniford-Brown even had a pair of keys to let himself into Mr Mckay's flat.
But their relationship took a turn for the worse after Hanniford-Brown visited his flat in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday, July 27 2022, at around 1am when an argument broke out between the pair about the keys he had used to get into the property.
This escalated into a physical fight where Errol McKay was stabbed 24 times to his head and neck by the "frenzied" attacker, leaving him for dead in the lounge.
A friend of Errol's was at the flat at the time of the stabbing. Hanniford-Brown told her to call an ambulance and put pressure on the wounds.
He then moved the safe where he stored his drugs, left the scene on a bicycle and disposed of the knife.
Paramedics fought to save Errol, but he died at the scene, meanwhile Raekwon Hanniford-Brown was planning his getaway out of the country.
Mr McKay was the youngest of nine children, described by his family as "a loving son, brother, uncle and nephew.
"Errol was humble, funny and affectionate. A kind-hearted man who prioritised family," they said.
"He extended his love and kindness beyond family; to friends and people in society who needed support. It was impossible to dislike Errol and as a result, he had many friends who loved him as he loved them. Errol’s door was always open."
Police forensics worked throughout the day to piece together evidence both inside and outside the property, with a huge crime scene covering the nearby area.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "Extensive bloodstaining was found inside the address not only in the lounge where the attack took place, but also in the kitchen where someone had attempted to clean their hands.
"In addition, a hand print was found, in blood, in the bedroom. The fingerprints were Hanniford-Brown’s."
On Thursday, July 28 2022, Hanniford-Brown was arrested at Gatwick Airport as he attempted to leave the UK for Paris.
He was charged on 29 July 2022 with Errol’s murder. Throughout the investigation, Hanniford-Brown maintained that he was simply defending himself.
Detective Chief Inspector Laura Semple, of the Metropolitan Police's specialist crime command, said: "Hanniford-Brown claimed that he acted in self-defence and that he suffered with PTSD and a phobia of knives, he also said that if it wasn't self-defence, he at least hadn't intended to cause Errol serious harm.
“However, the severity of the wounds he inflicted, the mobile phone data and the steps he took to distance himself from the incident, indicated otherwise.
“The attack on Errol was one of extreme brutality – he was stabbed 24 times causing catastrophic injuries to his head and neck – inflicting wounds of that nature is indicative of a frenzied attack, not self-defence.”
Raekwon Hanniford-Brown, 23, of Rossiter Road, appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Friday, July 21 where he was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 19 years.
DCI Semple added: "I am pleased that this dangerous, violent individual will pay the penalty for his actions.
“My thoughts are with Errol’s family. I hope they can now find a measure of closure knowing that justice has been served.”
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