Three Jailed for Life for Ambush Murder of Teen in West London Park

Overview

• Keith Preddie, Daniel Matos and Joshua Cowley received life terms Thursday at the Old Bailey, with minimum terms of 27.5, 27 and 25 years.
• Jurors heard the 19-year-old, a runner for a local drug line, was stabbed in a five-minute ambush in Hanworth Park and found with drug wraps and £300.
• Detectives placed the trio at the scene using Matos’s court-ordered GPS tag, extensive CCTV and mobile data, plus DNA and a hoodie stained with the victim’s blood.
• The case reached sentencing after a 2025 trial ended in a hung jury and a retrial concluded in February 2026 with guilty verdicts.
• Judge Mark Dennis KC called the attack brutal and cowardly, and police said the killing shows the destructive link between drug supply and knife violence as the family spoke of a deep, lasting loss.