Two men jailed for Brixton murder

Advanced techniques used by Met forensic scientists to capture DNA were credited with the identification, conviction and now sentencing of two men for the murder of a homeless man in Lambeth.

The two appeared in custody at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, 25 January to be sentenced for the murder of Mauricio 'Maurice' Nascimento.

Arturas Ptickinas, 29 (01.03.93) of Norwood High Street, SE27 was sentenced to 21 years' imprisonment for murder and three months' imprisonment for burglary. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Ernestas Aleksandrovas, 30 (04.11.92) of Norwood High Street, SE27 was sentenced to 19 years and six months' imprisonment for murder and 12 months' imprisonment for perverting the course of justice. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley of the Met's Specialist Crime Command said: "This case has clearly highlighted what can be achieved when detective ability and high level scientific expertise are combined.

"Maurice suffered a needless, brutal death and I am very happy that these two violent individuals will now spend a considerable number of years away from law abiding people. I hope that the substantial sentences handed down bring a measure of comfort to Maurice's family and loved ones."

The body of Mauricio 'Maurice' Nascimento, aged 44, was found in Rush Common, SW2, on 12 July 2021.

Maurice had suffered extensive injuries from a brutal attack, including a broken nose, fractured skull and neck, and almost all of his ribs were broken.

A murder investigation was launched and a crime scene was put in place. However, there were no obvious leads as to who was responsible for the fatal attack.

Forensic tests carried out on a belt found discarded at the scene, and Maurice's unbuttoned shirt, revealed full DNA matches to Ptickinas. In fact, the chances of it coming from anyone else were rated as one in a billion - the highest match on the scientific scale.

Ptickinas' DNA was also matched to Maurice's wrists, indicating he had been involved in dragging his body into bushes.

Forensic tests also showed the presence of DNA on other parts of Maurice's body, including his face and on his neck, where he had been hit by his attackers. However, the standard DNA test wasn't sensitive enough to produce a clear enough result to allow DNA comparisons to be made.

So a more specialist test was carried out, and what it showed was that DNA from three people was present - Maurice, Ptickinas and a third man, identified as Aleksandrovas.

Forensic tests on the fingers and palm of Maurice's right hand were found to match Aleksnadrovas's DNA - and the chances of it not being his has been calculated as one in a billion.

The DNA matches, coupled with analysis of CCTV footage, which tracked the pair leaving their home address and heading towards the Rush Common area when the murder is believed to have be carried out, helped build the case against both men.

Aleksandrovas was also linked to the crime scene as his mobile phone was used at 03.16hrs on the night of the murder and it connected to a telephone mast next to Rush Common.

+ Both defendants had previously appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 20 January where, following trial, Arturas Ptickinas was convicted of murder and Ernestas Aleksandrovas was convicted of murder and perverting the course of justice.

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