Three jailed for stabbing murder of new father

Jailed: Dillon Zambon, 20, and Jhon Berhane, 18

Three men who stabbed a new father to death have been jailed for his murder.

Jhon Berhane, 18, and Dillon Zambon, 20, were convicted of murder of Nashon Esbrand at the Old Bailey yesterday (Monday 25 June).

Berhane, of no fixed abode, and Zambon, of Leirum Street, were sentenced to life, with a minimum of 21 years for the murder.

The two were found guilty of murder following a trial on Monday 26 March.

A 16-year-old youth, who cannot be named, previously pleaded guilty on Wednesday 7 March during the trial and was given a 12 year sentence for the murder.

The court heard how on the afternoon of Thursday, 24 August 2017, Nashon Esbrand had been visiting his parents in Islington with his girlfriend and his two-week-old baby girl.

After dropping them back at their Upper Holloway home, the 27 year-old then set-off to return to his parent’s address to pick up his car.

However, on the way Nashon came across two young men, one of whom was later identified as Dillon Zambon.

It is believed that one of the two were members of the ‘Cally Boyz’, a gang that had been previously threatening Nashon for being a suspected “grass”.

Nashon was then seen being chased along Essex Road into Mitchison Road by a larger group of youths on bikes.

Following a call from Nashon, his father dashed out to find his son and flagged down a police car.

However Nashon was then cornered by the gang before being stabbed on the steps of a property in Mitchison Road, just a few yards away from his parents’ home.

The police were called at approximately 6.50pm and the officers who were already looking for Nashon with his father, rushed to the scene.

Medics arrived and Nashon was taken to an east London hospital. However he died from his injuries at 2.30am on Friday, 25 August .

A post-mortem revealed that he died following three knife wounds, one to the edge of his right thigh, one on the rear side of the upper left leg and one superficial stab wound to the right side of his torso.

The cause of death given was stab wounds and severe loss of blood.

A police investigation into the killing resulted in the identification and involvement of Berhane, Zambon and the 16-year-old youth.

All three were arrested in early September 2017 and subsequently charged with Nashon’s murder.

Nashon cared for his mother Princess, who has a chronic heart condition. In a statement, she said: “Nashon was my youngest child. I was extremely close to Nashon due to the fact that he was my carer. My son was like my friend. He was just everything to me. We were very, very close.

“Nashon was murdered on the street where I live, only a matter of yards from my front door. When I leave the house, I become anxious and have panic attacks. I have lived in Mitchison Road for the last 13 years and now I no longer want to live in my house. It has too many memories. I think about his last words which were ‘don’t let my Mum see me.’ It is so awful, I just can’t get over it.”

Nashon’s father Desmond Esbrand said in a statement: “Due to the fact that my son has been murdered my life has changed totally. Nashon was the perfect son to me and his mother.

“It has affected the family totally and has left a void. Our lives have become a constant living memorial to Nashon. It is very sad that I will not have the opportunity to watch him grow in to a mature man. As well, Nashon will not have the opportunity to watch his own child growing up and that his daughter will be denied the opportunity to have a father and to know her father.

“My life is just filled with sorrow due to the nature of his death. It would have been a lot easier if his death had been due to an accident or illness. I will never stop asking the question ‘why?’ because I believe that it was such a waste and unnecessary. Nashon was my only son.”

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall, who led the investigation, said: “The suspects, all riding pedal cycles, pursed Nashon through the streets, they caught up with him virtually outside the house where his parents lived and fatally stabbed him.

“Today three young people have been jailed for murdering Nashon, a much loved son, brother and father. I hope the sentencing has provided Nashon’s family with some comfort and reassured the wider community of our determination to bring offenders to justice, to this end we continue our pursuit of all those involved in the murder of Nashon.”

Berhane is also serving the following sentences as a result of another trial involving the kidnapping and torturing of a man in August 2017: 12 years for kidnap, six years for blackmail, four years for GBH, and three years for robbery.

These sentences will run concurrently with the 21 year sentence for murder.