Teen Killers Jailed for Brixton Youth Club Murder
Two teenagers have been locked up for fatally stabbing a man inside a Brixton youth club — all while children watched in horror. Rishon Florant, 17, of Waltham Forest, was sentenced to 18 years for murder at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 11 October. His accomplice, Chibuzo Ukonu, 18, from Loughton, received 14 years for manslaughter.
Chilling Attack Inside Youth Centre
The brutal stabbing happened on Thursday, 21 February, around 6.45pm at Marcus Lipton Youth Centre on Minet Road, SW9. Emergency services rushed to the scene after reports of a stabbing. They found 23-year-old Glendon Spence from Lewisham suffering from stab wounds. Despite desperate efforts, Glendon died at 7.30pm at the scene.
A post-mortem revealed Glendon died from stab wounds to the thigh. Detective Chief Inspector Richard Vandenbergh led the homicide investigation.
CCTV Shows Shocking Scene
Police combed through CCTV footage from inside and outside the youth centre. It showed Florant and Ukonu arriving in a freshly bought BMW. Glendon tried to escape inside — it was a place he knew well — but the pair followed, brandishing large knives in full view.
The attack was swift. Glendon was knocked down by a table tennis table before being stabbed repeatedly. Children as young as 10 witnessed the horrific crime. After the assault, the killers fled in their BMW, which was later found abandoned and partially set on fire.
Swift Police Action Leads to Arrests
- Florant was caught trying to flee the country via Dubai and Uganda the day after the attack.
- Ukonu was arrested in Salford, Manchester, days later.
Both were charged and convicted for their roles in Glendon’s tragic death.
“This was a premeditated and brutal attack. Glendon’s death highlights the vile nature of knife crime and the pain it inflicts on communities,” said DCI Vandenbergh.
“The youth centre should have been a place of safety. Instead, it became the scene of this horrific attack witnessed by children.”
Glendon’s devastated parents said: “Our fantastic son was robbed of his future by this evil act. He knew his killers not at all — this was unprovoked. We hope these sentences make them realise the pain they caused.”
Police are still hunting the driver of the BMW. Anyone with information should contact the incident room on 020 8721 4961 or call Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.
