A man has been convicted of ‘beating to death’ a 60-year-old man in a Redbridge park.
Brian Shields, 60, was found unresponsive at Orchard Playing Fields, also known as Goodmayes Park, in Ilford on October 20 and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Marius Ziugzda, 48, (15.06.76), of no fixed address, was found guilty on Friday, 17 January of his murder following a two-week week trial at Wood Green Crown Court.
The pair were both thought to be sleeping rough in disused buildings in Orchard Playing Fields Brian was killed by blunt force trauma to his head and chest on 20 October 2022 – injuries consistent with multiple punches or kicks.
Detective Sergeant David Brooks, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “Despite Ziugzda’s claims that he and Brian were friends, he subjected him to a sustained and ultimately fatal attack. This verdict is a testament to the hard work of the investigation team, the numerous witnesses who came forward and the efforts of the wider police team.”
On the morning of his death, police were called at 11:14m to Orchard playing fields (formerly Goodmayes Park extension) in Redbridge, following reports of an unresponsive man at the location. Despite the efforts of emergency services, Brian sadly died.
At the scene, Ziugzda approached the cordon, despite being told by officers that he could not enter the park. Ziugzda then spoke with officers and said that he had been with Brian the previous evening.
Ziugzda said that he had slept at the location and had woken up there that morning to find Brian dead. He said “I killed him today, I don’t know what….” He then said something incomprehensible before saying, “my friend, in the morning I killed him, now…..”
Officers noted that Ziugzda’s hands appeared to have scuff marks and scratches on them and when later questioned by detectives about his earlier comments, he said that the police officer must have misunderstood what he said.
In interview Ziugzda said that he and Brian arrived at the Park at 8pm on 19 October 2022 and at some point that evening Ziugzda said that he left Brian to get water from a local shop.
He claimed that upon leaving and returning to Brian he found him uninjured. He confirmed that it was only the two of them at the location and that they sat up for a period of time drinking and smoking before Ziugzda had fallen asleep next to Brian at the pavilion.
To confirm Ziugzda’s claims, detectives viewed 10 hours of CCTV footage from the two nearest shops to the park and found that Ziugzda had visited to buy water and alcohol but that at the time he had visible red staining on his trousers. This was later forensically examined and identified as the Brian’s blood, contradicting his account of Brian being uninjured before he went to sleep.
Officers also gathered witness statements which revealed that at about 11pm loud, aggressive shouting of two distinct male voices could be heard from the area of the disused pavilion.
Following this evidence, Ziugzda was subsequently charged on 23 October 2022.
He has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at the Wood Green Crown Court on Thursday, 13 February.
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