Five men have been jailed for the brutal murder of 27-year-old Antonis Antoniadis, who was stabbed to death after being followed across London by a gang intent on robbing him.
Antoniadis, who had been visiting from Greece with friends, was attacked in the early hours of Sunday, 7 July 2024, after a night out in central London.
He had left a nightclub near Oxford Circus around 8:15 a.m. and taken a taxi back to Florence Terrace, New Cross, unaware that the assailants were following them in a stolen vehicle.
The gang-Sofian Alliche, 20; Shian Johnson, 26; Joshua McCorquodale, 20; Alfie Hipple, 18; and 17-year-old Amin Alliche, had been lurking outside the club, looking for victims to rob.
They pursued Antonis and his friends for more than eight miles before ambushing them as they tried to enter their residence.
Four of the men, wearing balaclavas and armed with large knives, attacked Antonis, stealing his bag and stabbing him multiple times. The wound to his thigh severed his femoral artery, causing massive blood loss.
Antonis was rushed to hospital, where he fought for his life for two weeks before succumbing to his injuries on 21 July 2024.
After the attack, the gang fled in their stolen car, selling Antonis’ mobile phone before hiding the vehicle under a car cover in Camden.
Detectives later recovered the car and painstakingly pieced together their movements by reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV footage. The investigation linked the gang to the murder and uncovered a cache of weapons, including machetes, swords, and a zombie knife.
Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn of Specialist Crime South described the case as “particularly challenging” due to the lack of CCTV at the murder scene and the gang’s mobility. “Antonis had been visiting from Greece with friends. Very tragically he never made it home to his family,” she said.
“I would like to thank his friends, who witnessed his brutal murder and returned to the UK to give their evidence. I am pleased that our concerted efforts have achieved justice for Antonis’ loved ones.”
Antonis’ parents, Stella and Yiannis, described their grief as unbearable, saying, “The loss of our child, so unjust and inhumane, has left us devastated. There is nothing worse in the world than losing your child, especially in such a sudden and horrific way.”
After an eight-week trial at the Old Bailey, all five men were found guilty on 1 August of murder and conspiracy to commit robbery. On Tuesday, 8 October 2025, they were sentenced as follows:
Shian Johnson, 26, received 28 years for murder and 10 years for robbery, to run concurrently.
Joshua McCorquodale, 20, received 26 years for murder and nine years for robbery, to run concurrently.
Sofian Alliche, 20, received 25 years for murder and eight years for robbery, to run concurrently.
Alfie Hipple, 18, received 23 years for murder and seven years for robbery, to run concurrently.
Amin Alliche, 18, who was 17 at the time of the murder, received 22 years for murder and six years for robbery, to run concurrently.
DCI Blackburn said the sentences reflect “the severity of the defendants’ actions on that Sunday morning” and bring some measure of justice for Antonis’ family and friends.
