Homeless drug addict tied up and strangled father, 47, before pawning his TV for £15 to fund his class A habit
- Salieu Seray-Wurie was found guilty of murder having admitted manslaughter
A homeless drug addict who bound and strangled a man then stole his television worth £15 has been found guilty of murder.
Salieu Seray-Wurie, 26, killed 47-year-old Darren Ammon at his flat in Shoreditch, east London, last October 15 in a killing said to be motivated by his need to fund his habit.
Seray-Wurie denied intending to seriously hurt Mr Ammon but was found guilty of murder having already admitted manslaughter and stealing the victim’s TV.
Prosecutor Jacqueline Carey KC had told jurors: ‘The killing appears to have been motivated by the fact that the defendant believed Mr Ammon had possession of his bank card and because he needed money to fund his drugs habit.
‘The defendant assaulted Mr Ammon and ultimately strangled him to death.
‘After killing Mr Ammon, the defendant stole Mr Ammon’s TV and wallet – subsequently pawning the TV within 60-90 minutes of the murder.’
Salieu Seray-Wurie was found guilty of murder having already admitted manslaughter and stealing the victim’s TV
Salieu Seray-Wurie, 26, killed 47-year-old Darren Ammon (pictured) at his flat in Shoreditch, east London
Mr Ammon, who was addicted to class A drugs, was described as a ‘much loved father and son’.
He had let the defendant stay at his flat while living a chaotic ‘hand to mouth’ existence, jurors were told.
Earlier on the day of the murder, Mr Ammon had called police for help to remove someone who was refusing to leave his flat.
In the background, someone was heard demanding to be given his money back with the victim saying: ‘What money, I don’t owe you no money.’
When police arrived at the flat the defendant was asked to leave, but he soon returned.
Three days later, a neighbour raised the alarm and officers forced entry to the flat where they found Mr Ammon’s body in the living room under a duvet with his wrists and knees tied up and a cord around his neck.
Ms Carey said: ‘Whether Mr Ammon was tied up before, during or after the fatal attack is not known, but it is clear that ensuring that Mr Ammon either could not defend himself or could not summon assistance would have taken some time, some strength and some thought.
‘The prosecution say it took all those three things and it was the defendant who strangled Darren Ammon that afternoon.’
Mr Ammon, who was addicted to class A drugs, was described as a ‘much loved father and son’
Seray-Wurie killed Ammon at his flat in Shoreditch, east London, last October 15 (file image)
The defendant was caught on CCTV walking away from the scene carrying a large television which he sold at a shop in Bethnal Green before going to Slough.
He was arrested last October 22 and claimed in a police interview not to have been present at the time of Mr Ammon’s death.
When he was being escorted to a cell, the defendant told an officer that he needed to cancel his Barclaycard because he had lost it.
Even though he lost it a long time ago, there was no money in his account so he was not worried, he added.
The defendant went on to accept being responsible for Mr Ammon’s death and pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the second day of his trial.
It took a jury an hour and 25 minutes to reach a guilty verdict and Seray-Wurie will be sentenced on Thursday at the Old Bailey.
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