Barking man who fled to America has been jailed for murder.

Jahtel Williamson, 26, from Barking, was found guilty of the murder of 21-year-old Dean Pascal-Modeste, on Thursday, 20 October.

On Tuesday, 25 October, Williamson was sentenced to life in prison and recommended to serve at least 23 years.

Williamson had been extradited from Washington DC on Saturday, 1 May.

Following his arrival at Heathrow Airport, he was taken to a west London police station where he was charged with the fatal stabbing

Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Penney, of the Met’s Specialist Crime, said: “This defendant was part of gang who carried out a savage attack in broad daylight. Many had armed themselves and then set out determined to do violence. Dean was an innocent person, but that was immaterial, their blood was up and they hunted Dean through the streets, surrounded him and murdered him.

“Officers were determined to bring those responsible to justice and detailed searches of the area found some of the knives that had been used, and extensive CCTV and phone enquires helped place his killers at the scene. Two of his killers had fled abroad, but we were determined to find them and bring them to account and both have now been convicted.

“I also want to personally thank the many local residents who went to Dean’s aid or came forward as witnesses. The evidence they gave was compelling and helped to bring Dean’s killers to justice.”

On 24 February 2017, the victim Dean Pascal-Modeste, travelled from his home in Barking in East London to Grove Park in South-East London.

He and two friends of his had gone to the Chinbrook Estate in Grove Park to take part in the recording of a music video.

One of Dean’s friends went into a house while Dean and a second friend waited outside.

Suddenly, from nowhere, two mopeds appeared. The mopeds pulled up not far from where Dean and his friend were and a youth on one of the mopeds produced a gun and pointed it at Dean and his friend who both ran

As they ran, a group of six or so youths appeared on foot and started chasing after them.

Dean and his friend ran in different direction and it was Dean who was hunted down and surrounded.

The group of youths crowded around him and attacked him. A number of them were probably carrying weapons.

In the course of a vicious attack, Dean sustained 14 separate stab wounds and two of the blows were struck with such force they penetrated his left lung. A post-mortem examination later gave these two wounds as the primary cause of death.

When they finished the attack the gang ran off, the mopeds had already driven away.

Dean was left lying on the ground, bleeding to death. Police and medics attended and tried to keep him alive , but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The reason for the attack was due to gang rivalry, but Dean was not in a gang.

Dean was interested in music and had met a man who ran a music production company. Dean told people he believed this man would be able to help him make a successful career as a music producer.

However it was his music interest that brought him into contact with those who were in gangs and the two friends he went with on that fatal day were both involved in gang activity. It was probably the presence of his friends on the estate which caused the rival gang to launch their attack.

In all, Williamson is the sixth person charged with Dean’s murder and the fifth to be convicted.

Williamson was linked to the others who carried out the attack by phone records. These placed him at the scene and as a result of the searches police conducted of the area, a number of knives were recovered that forensically linked some of the suspects to the murder.

Also, extensive CCTV enquiries had placed the group together and police could prove Williamson was part of the gang who carried out the attack. Officers were also aided by members of the public who came forward and gave vital evidence during the court proceedings.

After the stabbing, Williamson had flown out of Gatwick Airport on 28 February 2017 to Iceland and he then went on to Baltimore, USA.

In 2018, the U.K Government made a request to the U.S. Department of State for the extradition of Jahtel Williamson. The following year, Williamson was traced to an address in Durham, North Carolina.

On 4 March 2021, the defendant was arrested and remanded in custody in North Carolina.