A south London drug dealer who beat a Kennington grandad to death over a £30 crack cocaine debt has lost his bid to overturn his murder conviction, after judges at the Court of Appeal refused to interfere with his life sentence.
Dedan Simmons, 40, of Clapham Road in Stockwell, was found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court in April 2024 of murdering 56-year-old Shaun McEvoy at the victim’s flat. The court heard that Simmons launched a brutal, sustained attack on Mr McEvoy following a dispute about a £30 drug debt, punching and stamping on him and leaving him with catastrophic injuries. Mr McEvoy was taken to hospital but could not be saved.
Family members described Mr McEvoy as a loving grandad with a “heart of gold” who struggled with addiction but was deeply loved by those close to him. They spoke of their devastation at losing him in such a violent and senseless way and welcomed the life sentence handed down last year.
Simmons was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years, meaning he must serve at least that period behind bars before he can be considered for parole. He later took his case to the Court of Appeal in a bid to challenge his conviction.
Appeal judges examined the arguments put forward on Simmons’ behalf but dismissed the case, ruling that there were no grounds to declare the murder conviction unsafe or to alter the sentence. The original jury’s verdict and the trial judge’s decision therefore remain in place.
The ruling brings a measure of finality for Mr McEvoy’s family, who have had to endure both the trial and the appeal process. It also underscores the courts’ firm approach to lethal violence linked to drug disputes in south London, where relatively small debts can escalate into fatal attacks.
For Kennington and the wider local community, the case stands as a stark reminder of how addiction, exploitation and street-level drug dealing can intersect with extreme violence, leaving families and neighbourhoods to deal with the long-term consequences. With Simmons’ appeal now rejected, the focus for Mr McEvoy’s loved ones will be on trying to move forward while knowing his killer remains behind bars.
