Nigerian man charged with causing grievous bodily injury after beating 5-year-old boy to death in London

Marvin Iheanacho has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent (GBH) against a 5-year-old boy at a south-east London park. The 38-year-old appeared in custody at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday, December 20th. He was remanded into custody to next appear for a pre-trial preparation hearing on Friday, March 10, 2017. A trial date has been scheduled for Monday, May 15, 2017.

The victim, Alex Malcom, from Bromley died in hospital after suffering critical head injuries at Mountsfield Park, Catford on Tuesday, November 22. The investigation was passed to the Homicide and Major Crime Command.

Iheanacho, from Wesley Avenue, Hounslow, was arrested the following day and appeared at Bromley Magistrates Court, charged with grievous bodily harm with intent.

Liliya Breha, 29, the heartbroken mother of Malcom described her son as 'beautiful, kind and gentle".

"I 'm heartbroken, I miss him. I really struggle because he shouldn't have been taken away from me. He was my best friend" She said her son, a Year 1 pupil at Archbishop Sumner CofE primary school in Kennington, was popular among classmates and enjoyed going to parks and on trips around London. He appeared as an angel in a nativity play last year and had recently completed a portfolio to begin child modelling. 

"He was too beautiful, people often thought he was a girl. He was doing a little modelling. We had just done a portfolio, he 'd had lots of offers but we never had a chance to do proper modelling"  said Ms Breha.

Source: Metropolitan Police/Evening Standard