A man who fled London after fearing he would be attacked was stabbed to death just an hour and a half after returning to the city.
Julian Ebanks, 21, had just arrived in the city when he was stabbed to death on Kender Street, Greenwich, in August 2023.
Ishmaiel Kallon, 23, phoned Julian, who was his childhood friend, in the hours before the attack to lure him out into the open.
He then acted as a spotter while another man, who still remains at large, stabbed Julian.
Julian had left London earlier in the year after he began fearing for his life, but returned to attend a family member’s birthday party.
He confided in Kallon he would be returning to the city for the celebration, who then betrayed his trust and informed the attacker of Julian’s plans.
Kallon was handed a life sentence by Judge Nicholas Heathcote Williams, with a minimum term of 22 years.
Julian’s mother described her son as ‘caring and compassionate’, adding she is ‘haunted every night by her son’s death’.
She told Woolwich Crown Court: ‘Where Julian is there is always a sense of happiness and laughter. He was always very caring and compassionate.
‘He would listen to both sides of the conflicts of his siblings in such a way that when he was finished they would make up.
‘When he was at home our family time was such a joy and he was always smiling.
‘I often wondered if I had just stopped Julian leaving the home that night my son would still be alive today, and these thoughts haunt me at night.’
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro's London news hub.
While the man who stabbed Julian has fled the country, Kallon handed himself into police claiming he was ‘an innocent dupe’.
A report by the Metropolitan Police said: ‘The court heard that Kallon had phoned Julian in the hours before the attack.
‘It became clear that his intention was to lure Julian out into the open in Kender Street. Julian was then stabbed by another man whilst Kallon acted as a spotter.
‘Kallon never gave any explanation to why Julian was brutally murdered.
‘However, analysis of Kallon’s devices showed that this attack was fuelled by a disagreement between the parties earlier in 2023.’
Detective chief inspector Martin Thorpe called Kallon a ‘dangerous individual’ who had no issues in leading Julian to his death.
He said: ‘Our thoughts of course remain with the loved ones of Julian – we know this has been an extremely difficult time and we will continue to offer them our full support.
‘I am pleased that as a result of our investigation we have delivered justice for the Ebanks family by ensuring the person responsible for Julian’s killing will spend a considerable time behind bars.
‘I would also like to commend the outstanding work of my team.
‘Their incredible dedication and many long hours analysing CCTV and phone records meant that Kallon was identified and arrested only six days after the horrific attack.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
