Student murdered in Plumstead for being from Peckham

Eighteen-year-old Philip Poru was killed when he was sat in the front seat of a silver Ford Fiesta in Long Walk, Plumstead, at around 10pm on October 14 last year.

Police believe the unsolved murder arose as a result of long-standing territorial rivalry and that Mr Poru was shot because he came from Peckham.

Southwark Coroner’s Court heard that two black men thought to have Somalian accents approached the car and opened the door before firing, and then ran away.

Mr Poru’s uncle El Hag Paul, who spoke on behalf of the family at the inquest on October 31, says his nephew was not in a gang.

He said: “He tried to make people laugh, he was a very focussed and mature person. He knew what he wanted.

“He provided direction to all the others and looked after his younger brothers.”

Mr Poru, who had just started at Kingston University at the time of the shooting, was born in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and moved to England when he was three years old.

He was one of five children raised by his mother who was a single parent.

Although the media and cultural studies student died of gunshots to the upper chest and abdomen, the inquest heard that each of the two bullets alone would have killed him.

Detective Inspector Andrew Barton, from Operation Trident, a Met Police initiative to fight gun crime in the black community, says that despite a £20,000 reward police are still looking for his killers.

He said: “There have been no independent witnesses and no credible information received regarding the suspects.

“It appears they were selected because they were from Peckham, and were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“There’s reason to believe there’s some long-standing rivalry that has been going on.

“There’s no clear link with other incidents.”

Coroner Gail Elliman recorded a verdict of unlawful killing.

If you have any information about the incident, call the Operation Trident incident room on 020 8247 4553 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.