Lewisham man jailed for murder after stabbing flatmate 14 times

Christopher Baptiste, 54, of Loampit Vale stabbed 36-year-old Sonny Booty in a bedroom at the property they shared following a drunken argument.

He was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey on Friday, August 18 and was sentenced to life imprisonment, to service the minimum of 18 years.

In court, Baptist claimed that he had acted in self-defence when assaulting Sonny and that an unknown individual was actually responsible for the murder.

Sonny Booty (Image: Met Police)

However, Baptiste’s conviction follows an investigation by detectives who were able to persuade the jury that this story was fabricated.

Discussing the impact her son’s murder has had on his family, Sonny’s mother Kim Booty, said: “No mother should ever have to go and identify their child in a mortuary.

“The impact of all this has left me suffering with extreme anxiety and having regular panic attacks.

“I feel like my whole family have all been given a life sentence.

“I physically find it so hard to function every day and feel so vulnerable.

“I have family around me, but I also feel very alone. I have not slept the same since that day and I often wake up thinking about Sonny.

“This has also had a profound effect on Sonny’s children.

“They are all very scared all of the time.

“No child should have to deal with the death of their parent, much less a death in this horrific way.

“Sonny’s death has such an impact on so many people and so many events.

“He will be missed forever.”

DCI Neil John, Specialist Crime North, said: “My thoughts today are with Sonny’s family and loved ones.

“I have seen first-hand the impact his brutal murder has had on them, and know this is something they will never get over.

“Hopefully seeing the man responsible held to account will be of some comfort to them.

“Only Baptiste will ever know exactly what transpired that night when he and Sonny returned home, but it’s clear from Sonny’s wounds that Baptiste was not acting in self-defence as he tried to claim.

“Rather, he has lashed out at the victim following a disagreement over what most people would consider to be a minor issue.

“The pair were believed to be prone to arguments, but in this case there were devastating consequences which have ruined the lives of many.”

On the evening of Saturday, August 13 2022, Baptiste and the victim had been at The Anchor pub in Lewisham drinking and playing pool.

Initially they were getting along well but around 10.40pm a disagreement broke out between the two, police reported.

They were thrown out of the pub and both went home.

It is believed that the argument continued here, culminating in Baptiste attacking Sonny in a bedroom at the property.

He stabbed him a total of 14 times in his face, chest, arms and legs.

Baptiste then roused an upstairs occupant, and the two went for a walk together where Baptiste indicated that something had happened, but refused to go into detail.

The friend told him if it was very serious he should tell the police.

Baptiste spoke no more about it and they returned home. Baptiste did however call a couple of his friends to tell them something bad had happened and that he wouldn’t be seeing them for a while.

At around 09.00hrs on Sunday, 14 August he walked into Lewisham police station and told the front desk officer: “I’ve murdered my flatmate.”

Officers attended the Lewisham address where they found Sonny in the garden.

They attempted CPR but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

 A subsequent post mortem examination concluded that a stab wound to his chest was the fatal injury.

Given the circumstances, Baptiste was swiftly charged with Sonny’s murder, so the work of the detectives was then to ensure they were able to secure as much evidence as possible to prove that this was not a case of self-defence as he first claimed.

Once the case came to trial he had changed his story, claiming that he did assault Sonny but that when he left him he was alive and well – suggesting a second suspect must have come into the property and killed him.