A man posing on Instagram with two Rolex watches was killed after two women used the date rape drug GHB in an attempt to rob him.
Saul Murray, 33, had been put in a honey trap by Surpreet Dhillon and Temidayo Awe, who seduced and stripped him.
He was found naked in a pool of blood in the communal entrance of his flat in New Town Street, Luton, after their male accomplices Ikram Affia and Cleon Brown were summoned as the drug failed to knock him out.
Police were later able to identify the killer Affia from a signature and rare designer Moncler jacket he was wearing.
CCTV footage played for the Luton Crown Court jury showed the women, who admitted to similarly assaulting other men, leaving the flat, followed 19 seconds later by the two men. In Affia’s right hand was a large knife.
Surpreet Dhillon, now 36, of Carnarvon Road, London, was convicted of manslaughter
Temidayo Awe, 21, of Saunders Street, Gillingham, was also convicted of manslaughter
The Rolex watches were fakes and Saul Murray, a father of six, had no expensive items in the flat he had just moved into.
A jury found Ikem Affia, 31, of Shore Place, Hackney, London, guilty of murder.
Surpreet Dhillon, now 36, of Carnarvon Road, London; Cleon Brown, 29, of King Edward’s Road, South Hackney and Temidayo Awe, 21, of Saunders Street, Gillingham, were convicted of manslaughter.
All four defendants were convicted of conspiracy to rob him between February 8 and February 28. Ikem Affia was also found guilty of having a knife.
Affia was sentenced to life in prison on Friday with a minimum sentence of 25 years.
Brown received 11 years in prison. Dhillon was sentenced to 10 years and Awe to 7 years.
At the trial, Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff KC said: ‘Mr Murray can be seen just a few seconds after the men. He hobbles and is completely naked. He opens the common door, falls over and dies.’
She said a night shift worker dialed 999 after returning home to the flats an hour and a half later to find Mr Murray in a pool of blood.
Saul Murray is pictured in a swimming pool wearing a Rolex
Mr Murray was found naked in a pool of blood in the communal entrance of the New Town Street flats, after the two men who worked with the women – Ikram Affia, 31, and Cleon Brown, 29 – entered his home to dispose of his valuables jerking (Pictured: one of the targeted Rolexes)
An autopsy revealed that he died of a deep wound to his thigh. It penetrated his femoral artery and he bled to death.
The murder took place in the early hours of Sunday, February 27 last year after Surpreet Dhillon contacted Saul Murray via Instagram and WhatsApp.
The four defendants traveled to Luton from London late Saturday, February 26, in a Mercedes A-class car rented by Brown.
Saul Murray met the two women outside his flat as the two men left in the car, using a Drive-thru McDonalds.
She said the two women had shared brandy with Mr Murray and ‘they gave him GHB to knock him out’.
The prosecutor said: ‘Mrs Dhillon and Ms Awe admit they entered the flat with GHB and gave it to him. They admit they’ve done this before – trapping men and stealing items from them, including watches, while those men are asleep. The drafted men also received GHB.’
She said there was clearly some degree of sexual activity between the two women and Mr Murray at one point. Swabs from both sides of his face and neck contained DNA from both women. The GHB dose had not been strong enough to knock Saul Murray out and the two men were contacted.
The police linked Dhillon to the victim via the Instagram contact. Awe was picked up through her social media contact with Dhillon. The DNA of the two women was found on Saul Murray’s body.
Saul Murray (pictured), 33, was targeted by Surpreet Dhillon, 35, and Temidayo Awe, 21, who seduced and stripped him after meeting at his home in Luton
Pictured: Investigators on scene after Mr Murray’s murder last February
Pictured: Tribute left outside Mr Murray’s home
Brown’s hired Mercedes was seen near the murder. Saul Murray’s blood was found in the car. Affia wore the £1,350 jacket on the spot. Telematics in the car linked him to a KFC in London. Affia was seen wearing the coat. Detectives found that only 69 had been sold in the UK.
When she gave evidence, Dhillon admitted to targeting six men in similar Honeytraps between October 2021 and February 2022. One victim lost £32,000. She said Awe had been involved four times.
In a personal statement from the victim, the victim’s father, Colin Murray, described Saul as a wonderful son. He said he watched his son die on CCTV and said, “It’s the last thing on my mind before I go to sleep and the first thing on my mind when I wake up.”
Judge Michael Simon said Saul Murray’s life had been “brutally cut short.”
He said, “Nothing this court will say or do can possibly mend the cavernous emptiness in the hearts and lives of those to whom Saul Murray meant so much.”
The judge went on to say, “Something went wrong with the primary plan (the robbery) – exactly what went wrong the court cannot be certain with the available evidence.”
He told Dhillon she had been living a “predatory lifestyle doing male social media” and added, “Something that seemed like an easy money game had the potential to go wrong.”
After the verdict, Detective Inspector Dale Mepstead of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: ‘This was clearly a planned attack, facilitated by Dhillon and Awe and carried out by Affia and Brown.
‘It is clear from the way the two women used a sedative on Mr Murray and the fact that Affia was armed with a knife that they were willing to get what they wanted at any cost – which sadly ruined Mr Murray’s life. used to be.
She added: ‘This was a very lengthy and complex investigation, examining hours of CCTV, telephone records, vehicle telematics and other evidence to place them all in Mr Murray’s flat at the time of the offence.
“I hope knowing that all four people involved in this horrific incident will be locked up for a very long time can bring some justice to Saul’s loved ones.”
This case will be featured in 24 Hours in Police Custody later this month.
