A man has been jailed for life for murder after battering his victim to death and leaving the body in a bath for 10 days.
The body of Marvin Dickson, 40, was found at the home of Dante Forrest, 37, in Wood Green after a neighbour reported a “dreadful smell” coming from his property to the police.
When officers arrived at the property on Moselle Avenue on September 20 last year, they found it boarded up, padlocked, and in complete darkness before the grim discovery was made.
Forrest was brought to justice after Met officers used DNA evidence from Marvin’s blood at the scene and trawled through hundreds of hours of CCTV to prove he was at the crime scene.
They found Marvin’s blood on a pizza box at the crime scene and uncovered crucial footage which showed him wearing Marvin’s trainers in the days after his death.
Mr Dickson’s death was the result of “substantial” blunt force trauma to the left side of his head, according to a pathological examination.
Judge Nigel Lickley KC, on Tuesday jailed Forrest for life to serve a minimum of 22 years at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.
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In a statement provided to the Met Police, Marvin’s family said: “On behalf of our family, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in this case.
“While we are grateful that justice has been delivered, and that the person responsible for Marvin’s death has been held accountable, no verdict can ever bring him back or ease the sadness we carry every day.
“Marvin will forever be loved, missed, and remembered.”
Detective Inspector Mark Johnson, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Unit, who led the investigation, said: “Today’s sentence will hopefully bring a small amount of closure to Marvin’s family. My thoughts remain with his loved ones as justice is finally served, they have shown immense strength throughout this investigation.”
