A man, Ishmaiel Kallon, has been condemned to life behind bars after being convicted of orchestrating the cold-blooded murder of a young man in the heart of south-east London.
Kallon, aged 23, from Kender Street in Greenwich, was sentenced on Friday, 13 December, at Woolwich Crown Court to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 22 years.
This sentence follows his role in the tragic death of 20-year-old Julian Ebanks.
According to the Met Police, the harrowing murder unfolded in the early hours of 4 August 2023, when Julian, a young man full of life, was mercilessly stabbed on Kender Street.
Kallon was found unanimously guilty on 30 September, 2023, after a tense and drawn-out four-week trial at the same court.
In a case that gripped the community, detectives meticulously combed through witness testimonies and painstakingly analysed mobile phone data and intelligence to piece together the puzzle.
Kallon, alongside another man, emerged as the prime suspects in the brutal crime.
The court was told that in the hours preceding the attack, Kallon made contact with Julian, with the apparent intent of luring him into a deadly trap on Kender Street.
Once Julian had been lured into the open, the fatal assault was carried out by another man, while Kallon acted as a “spotter.” Authorities are still actively working to identify and locate the second assailant.
In a chilling turn of events, it was revealed that Julian had left London earlier in the year due to threats to his safety. He had only just returned to the city to celebrate a family member’s birthday.
Tragically, within just 90 minutes of his arrival, his life was cruelly taken.
While Kallon refused to explain the motive behind the murder, investigators uncovered that the horrific act stemmed from a long-standing feud between the parties involved.
This revelation came to light through the analysis of Kallon’s digital devices, offering a glimpse into the bitter animosity that fuelled the violence.
Kallon was apprehended on 10 August 2023, and appeared before Bromley Magistrates Court the following day, charged with Julian’s murder.
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Thorpe, who led the investigation, spoke with a mixture of relief and solemnity: “Kallon is a dangerous individual, who had no compunction about luring another man to his death. Our hearts remain with Julian’s family during this incredibly difficult time, and we will continue to support them. “I am proud that, through our tireless investigation, we have delivered justice for the Ebanks family. The person responsible for Julian’s death will now face a significant time behind bars. I also commend the extraordinary efforts of my team, whose relentless work, from reviewing CCTV to sifting through phone records, ensured that Kallon was identified and arrested just six days after the attack.”
