The
Violent, Armed Attack
On 15 July 2006, Buster was stabbed
and killed by Stelios Paraschakis (also known as Stelios Beverley).
Buster was just 16 years old.
Buster and six others had been at a friend's house, just before going home
four of the them, including Buster, had walked to the local shop while the
others waited at the end of the road because one was on crutches.
As
Buster and his friends returned they heard shouting and ran back to see what
was happening, CCTV shows them stopping as they arrived, none of them
had any weapons.
The boys who had waited behind were also unarmed and had been attacked by at
least two people who had run out of a nearby alleyway and launched a
surprise, violent,
armed attack.
One of Buster's friends was hit in the face with a
baseball bat, the wound
needed several stitches and he is scarred for life.
One of the attackers was Amy Curran
(girlfriend of Paraschakis) who had armed herself with a bottle, the other
attacker was armed
with a baseball bat.
The court heard that at least two more friends of
Paraschakis - Marlon Hope and Grant Davies - had also arrived at the scene and that Paraschakis then run out
of the alleyway armed with TWO knives and stabbed Buster in the neck
then run off.
Two more friends of Paraschakis - Kane Stewart and
Kelly Tran - arrived at the scene and
subsequently met Paraschakis and Curran at nearby woods and drove them to a flat in Woolwich to evade the
police.
Teresa Beverley, mother of Paraschakis, also went to the flat,
she gave him his Passport and then drove him to Gatwick airport to get him
out of the country, they arrived at the airport within 90 minutes of the
attack.
Buster had immediately tried to run to his home further along
the road but collapsed a few yards away. Paraschakis had severed his jugular
vein causing massive blood loss.
Within just a few hours of murdering Buster killer Paraschakis was on a
flight out of the country to Greece, the police issued a European Arrest
Warrant for him, his father brought him back to the UK a few days later.
Of the (at least) seven of
Paraschakis's friends known to have been involved in the attack and/or to
have helped Paraschakis evade the police only four were ever charged -
Paraschakis, Curran, Beverley and Paul Spouse.
All pleaded Not Guilty. The trial was held at the Central Criminal
Court (Old Bailey) and started on 20 March 2007.
Throughout the trial
Paraschakis and Curran laughed and passed notes.
After the Judge gave Paraschakis's sentence of 18 years Paraschakis put
his arms above his head and gave
mocking applause to
Buster's family and friends in the Public Gallery.
Paraschakis had admitted during the trial that he had a long ongoing
personal tit-for-tat feud with one of the boys Buster was with.
Paraschakis and Curran
refused to name the attacker armed with the baseball bat so this violent
thug is still walking our streets.
The weapons - including the knife used to
murder Buster - were never recovered.
No remorse was shown by any of the
defendants for their part in the death of an innocent and defenceless
16-year-old boy.
