Man and woman detained in connection with killing in shopping centre
Michael Ugwa. Picture: Essex Police
Police investigating the killing of a man in a shopping centre in Essex have arrested two people in Chiswick this Wednesday (4 May).
A 22-year-old man, named as Muhammad Khan of Ilford, has been subsequently charged with murder and affray and is due to appear at Southend Magistrates' Court. The 54-year-old Croydon woman he was detained with was questioned on suspicion of assisting an offender and later released under investigation.
They were detained in connection with the killing of 29-year-old Michael Ugwa at the Lakeside Shopping centre shortly before 4.30pm on Thursday (28 April). He was attacked near the food court and died of his wounds at the scene despite the efforts of paramedics.
Two people had already been charged in connection with the investigation. 19- year-old Brandon Lutchmunsing, of Grafton Road, Dagenham has been charged with murder and affray and 20-year-old Shannon Weston, of Paddocks Close, Canewdon has been charged with assisting an offender.
They were both next due to appear at Basildon Crown Court on Friday (6 May).
Paying tribute to Michael, his mother said in a statement, "Michael was a kind man with a large personality and an even larger heart. He was special to a great many people and so it is with great sorrow that we are writing about his untimely passing.
"Within his family, there isn't a single person among us who doesn't have a good story or fond memory of Michael and as we receive the condolences of many people. We are humbled by just how many lives he touched during his short stay on this Earth.
"As with many people, he was not a man without fault but, his desire to always try to better himself and strive for a brighter tomorrow made him a rich source of inspiration to not only his children, cousins, nieces and nephews but also to everyone who desired to see that silver lining.
"From being the first to step up when a member of the family was homeless and took them, to being the last to leave when his brother, my son, went through surgery, you could always count on him to be the staunchest supporter in your corner, a privilege that those of us, his family, were especially privy to.
"He was truly a gift that kept giving, a loving and supportive partner to his would-have-been wife, a great father to his three children, a caring brother, and a pillar of support to me, his mum, and wider family in general, including his aunts, uncles and all his cousins.”
Detective Chief Inspector Ashley Howard, who’s leading the investigation, said, “As these charges highlight, our investigation is progressing but doesn’t stop.
“We still believe this attack was directed towards the victim and that the incident poses no ongoing threat to people shopping, eating, and socialising at Lakeside.
“We continue to make inquiries and need anyone who has any information who has not identified themselves to police, to contact us.”
Value Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |
May 7, 2022
