Caught on camera destroying evidence
‘Why did you keep hitting him in the face?’ ‘Cos I thought it was funny’
CCTV footage showed the moment three men tried to destroy evidence linking them to the murder of homeless Razvan Sirbu.
The trio are seen casually standing around a skate park shelter while burning clothing believed to link them to the crime.
One of them cycles around the Maidstone shelter while the clothing is alight.
The video, released by Kent Police, shows White burning the clothing and pictures witnessed by murder squad detectives also revealed Macdonald and Buckley appearing to re-enact some of the violence meted out to Mr Sirbu who had been sleeping in the conservation area, off Cave Hill.
Maidstone Crown Court heard the 21-year-old’s killers left the murder scene together and were seen on CCTV walking back to Quarry Road.
Judge Jeremy Carey said they appeared on the footage ‘seemingly undeterred,’ and rejected any suggestion the trio had been under attack by Mr Sirbu.
He said: “There was no attempt to call the emergency services, not even anonymously, or indeed to complain that you, as you were to say, had been the ones under attack - for you had not.”
As the investigation progressed, the skate park CCTV was revealed and evidence took detectives to Shepherdswell, near Dover to a caravan where Macdonald was arrested. A grey coat was seized and blood found on the hood was tested and matched Mr Sirbu’s DNA.
Police also uncovered details of a conversation between White and Macdonald where White had asked him why he kept beating Mr Sirbu in the face. Macdonald was said to have replied “cos I thought it was funny.”
Det Ch Insp Tony Pledger said: “This was an utterly senseless attack on a young man who stood little chance of protecting himself. Razvan Sirbu was subjected to a horrific ordeal which appears to have been entirely unprovoked.
“Our investigation has uncovered compelling and overwhelming evidence linking the offenders to this murder, but their refusal to tell the truth may mean we never know precisely why they carried out this attack.”