Saul Murray: Rare designer coat helped snare killer, say police

Saul Murray was described by his family as a "beautiful soul, a loving father, son, brother, uncle and friend"

A rare designer coat helped police track down a murderer in the case of a man killed after he posed on Instagram with fake Rolex watches.

Saul Murray, 33, was killed at his Luton flat in February last year having been drugged with the sedative GHB.

Police said one of his killers, Ikem Affia, 31, was wearing a Moncler coat - worth more than £1,000 - that was one of only 69 sold in the UK.

Det Insp Dale Mepstead said it was a "key piece of evidence".

On Friday, four people were jailed for their involvement in the killing.

• Ikem Affia, 31, of Shore Place, Hackney, east London, jailed for life for murder, with a minimum term of 25 years

• Cleon Brown, 29, of King Edward's Road, Hackney, jailed for 11 years for manslaughter

• Surpreet Dhillon, 36, of Carnavon Road, Stratford, east London, jailed for 10 years for manslaughter

• Temidayo Awe, 21, of Saunders Street, Gillingham, Kent, jailed for seven years for manslaughter

The trial heard Dhillon contacted Mr Murray on Instagram on 9 February - shortly after he posted the pictures - before messaging him on WhatsApp.

• Four jailed for killing man who posed with watches

Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff KC told jurors Dhillon and Awe met the victim outside his flat, shared brandy with him inside and gave him GHB "to knock him out".

She said "some degree of sexual activity" took place and that the two women "went to steal items from Mr Murray that they believed were of high value".

A photo of one of the fake Rolexes was released

Det Insp Mepstead said one of the women directed two men - Affia and Brown - to the flat, where CCTV footage suggested they were "trying very hard to conceal their identities".

"At some point during that, there's been some sort of altercation and Saul has been stabbed in the leg," she said.

"The girls run out, followed by the two guys, one of whom you can see holding a knife. Shortly after this they're followed by Saul who falls to the ground and collapses."

She said police "identified two robberies that had been reported" in London which took place in similar circumstances.

Det Insp Mepstead said: "I wouldn't be surprised if there's more of this going on, but it doesn't get reported.

"If you target the right individuals - people that are married, people that have attained their lifestyle through criminality - then quite often the police don't get involved.

"So I'm sure that this was probably just the tip of the iceberg."

Police said that only 69 of the type of Moncler coat - worth more than £1,000 - were sold in the UK

In the investigation into Mr Murray's killing, she said the women were picked out through CCTV and sexual swabs, while Brown was linked through a hired Mercedes.

But she said Affia was "probably a bit more savvy" as he had turned off his phone, was wearing a mask and was careful not to touch anything.

However, police tracked Brown's Mercedes to a fast-food restaurant in London two days before the killing where he was with someone wearing a "distinctive Moncler coat which the individual in the CCTV at the offence location also appeared to be wearing".

"Only 69 of them had been sold in the UK, one of which we could attribute to Ikem Affia's partner," she said.

"And alongside that we, as the police, bought one of those jackets and did a reconstruction. We involved a CCTV expert and he managed to say that 'Yes that was the same coat'."

Det Insp Dale Mepstead said Mr Murray was "probably in the process of turning his life around"

The detective said Mr Murray was "probably in the process of turning his life around" as he had a job as a plasterer and his father helped him get a bedsit.

But she said: "Clearly the lifestyle that he was purporting to have on social media wasn't the reality of his situation.

"You often find that with people trying to make themselves appear different to how they are in real life, but unfortunately on this occasion that's probably what has led to him being targeted."

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