A vulnerable south London man was beaten to death by a man he owed money to, a jury were told. 

Shaun McEvoy, 56, died after he was found unresponsive at a flat on Durham Street in Kennington on February 15 last year. 

Dedan Simmons, 40, of Clapham Road in Stockwell, is on trial at Woolwich Crown Court accused of murdering Shaun. 

Prosecutor Anne Whyte said Shaun was a drug user who led a “chaotic lifestyle” and on that morning he was in the Kennington flat with three other people. 

“Prosecution say Dedan Simmons entered the flat, probably uninvited, because he was owed money, having supplied Mr McEvoy with previously with drugs,” Ms Whyte said. 

Once inside the flat Simmons shouted “where’s my f***ing money”, stamped on Shaun’s chest and threatened to stab another person in the flat, the jury were told. 

Shaun was found unconscious and not breathing after he collapsed in the bathroom later that day. 

Ms Whyte alleges that the injuries Simmons inflicted on Shaun that morning caused his death. 

Simmons pleads not guilty to Shaun’s murder. 

‘Where’s my f***ing money’ 

Opening the trial, prosecutor Ms Whyte said that Simmons forced his way into the flat at around 10.35am demanding “his money”. 

She said: “Once inside the flat, he pushed Mr McEvoy to the floor and then he stamped on his chest heavily. 

“He then threw his weight about in what you will see was a small and somewhat congested room by picking up objects and throwing them and demanding that he be repaid his money. 

“He then left briefly, returning with a knife that he had probably found in the communal kitchen, and threatened to stab one of the other people in the room, Mr Dean Lewis.” 

Three other people were in the room with Shaun when the attack took place, Ms Whyte said. 

One claims he was sleeping in the room when he was woken up by shouting. 

“He opened his eyes to see what he describes as a drug dealer he knows only as ‘Elvis’, who was shouting “where’s my fucking money”. He explained that they all owed ‘Elvis’ money,” Ms Whye said. 

After assaulting Mr McEvoy he claimed that Elvis stormed out of the room before returning with a knife. 

“He told Dean Lewis to put his hands on the table – Mr Flynn thought he was going to cut Mr Lewis’ hands off. He then describes Elvis as smashing a bowl, making further threats, and then leaving,” Ms Whyte said. 

‘White as a sheet’ 

Ms Whyte said Shaun complained that his chest hurt and at around 3.15pm he was found lying on the bathroom floor “white as a sheet”. 

A 999 call was made but he was pronounced dead at 5.24pm with the cause of death given as blunt force trauma to the torso.   

Two other occupants of the flat were initially arrested on suspicion of murder – Dean Lewis and Graham Woolford. 

However, they later told police that a drug dealer called Elvis had been there that morning and assaulted Shaun. 

Simmons was arrested at his home address on March 1, 2023. 

Simmons denies murder.