Key Points

• Daniel Watkis, 30, has been convicted of murder after fatally assaulting Junior Coleman, 43, at the former Brockley Social Club in Lewisham.
• The murder occurred on the evening of Wednesday, 9 July; Coleman’s body was discovered concealed beneath a tarpaulin on 19 September.
• Watkis was found guilty on Friday, 10 July following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
• Detectives built their case using CCTV, witness accounts, forensic and digital evidence, telecommunications enquiries, and analysis of Watkis’s movements before and after the killing.
• Watkis allegedly stopped using his mobile phone number in the early hours after the murder, later reported his bank card as stolen, and discouraged others from reporting Coleman missing.
• Items belonging to Watkis – including his bank card, Freedom Pass, and provisional driving licence – were found next to Coleman’s body; these items had last been used on 9 July.
• A post-mortem examination concluded that Coleman died from blunt force trauma to the head and face, consistent with repeated heavy blows from a blunt object.
• Watkis was arrested on 24 September at his Hackney address; in interview he largely answered “no comment” and denied murdering Coleman, and at times denied knowing him.
• Detective Chief Inspector Suzanne Soren, who led the investigation, paid tribute to the Coleman family’s dignity and described the verdict as a measure of justice for them.
• The conviction also sends a “clear message” that those responsible for the most serious crimes cannot rely on time, concealment or deception to escape justice, according to police.

Lewisham (South London News) July 11, 2026 –A man who killed an acquaintance and left his body concealed in a derelict building has been convicted of murder after detectives built a meticulous case against him.

Watkis, 30, was found guilty on Friday, 10 July following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court, according to a Metropolitan Police statement. The conviction ends a long investigation into the death of Junior Coleman, 43, who was beaten to death by Watkis on the evening of Wednesday, 9 July at the former Brockley Social Club on Brockley Road in Lewisham, where both men had been sleeping rough.

What evidence led to Daniel Watkis’s murder conviction?

Investigating officers painstakingly pieced together CCTV, witness accounts, forensic and digital evidence, telecommunications enquiries and the movements of Daniel Watkis before and after Junior Coleman was murdered. This combination of diligent investigative work established that Watkis was responsible, according to the Metropolitan Police.

As reported by the Metropolitan Police, CCTV had captured both men walking together towards the social club earlier on 9 July. Mr Coleman was wearing the same clothing later found on his body.

Watkis returned to the venue shortly before 23:00hrs, after which Mr Coleman – who was already inside – was fatally attacked. Forensic evidence indicated he was attacked in one part of the room where he was found before his body was moved and concealed.

CCTV then showed Watkis at around 23:40hrs walking along Brockley Road, having left the social club. He was seen glancing back towards the building.

How did police track Daniel Watkis after the murder?

In the early hours of the morning he stopped using his usual mobile phone number and weeks later he reported his bank card – which was later found next to Mr Coleman’s body – as stolen. He also discouraged others from reporting Junior missing, according to the police statement.

But concern for Mr Coleman was growing and he was reported missing by his family, as noted by the Metropolitan Police.

On 19 September, as part of their enquiries into Mr Coleman’s disappearance, officers carried out a search at the former social club. Mr Coleman’s body was found concealed beneath a tarpaulin and other items in a rear bar area.

What forensic items were found near Junior Coleman’s body?

Items belonging to Watkis, including his bank card, Freedom Pass, and provisional driving licence were found close to Mr Coleman’s body. His bank card and Freedom Pass had last been used on 9 July, police said.

A water bottle found nearby was also forensically linked to Watkis, according to the Metropolitan Police.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Coleman had died from blunt force trauma to his head and face. His injuries were consistent with repeated heavy blows from a blunt object.

What did Daniel Watkis say after his arrest?

Watkis was arrested on suspicion of murder on 24 September at his address in Hackney. In interview, he largely answered “no comment”. He denied murdering Mr Coleman and at times denied even knowing him, despite evidence that the two men had spent time together and both stayed at the former social club.

As reported by the Metropolitan Police, Detective Chief Inspector Suzanne Soren, who led the investigation, said:

“Junior Coleman was a much-loved son, brother, father and friend whose life mattered deeply to those who knew him. Today my thoughts are firmly with everyone who knew and loved him. Throughout this investigation, Mr Coleman’s family have shown remarkable dignity, patience and strength. Nothing can undo their loss, but I hope today’s verdict provides them with some measure of justice as they continue to grieve.”

She added:

“This was a complex investigation that relied on the determination and professionalism of detectives and forensic specialists who painstakingly pieced together hundreds of individual lines of enquiry over many months. They reviewed extensive CCTV, analysed digital and telecommunications evidence, traced Watkis’ movements, secured crucial forensic opportunities – building a case that ensured Mr Coleman’s family finally received the answers they deserved.”

DCI Soren continued:

“Today’s verdict means Daniel Watkis has been held accountable for taking Mr Coleman’s life. It also sends a clear message that those responsible for the most serious crimes cannot rely on time, concealment or deception to escape justice. No matter how complex an investigation may be, we will continue to pursue every available line of enquiry to ensure those responsible are brought before the courts.”

How have the media described the case?

Multiple outlets have focused on the concealment of the body and the “meticulous” nature of the police investigation. As reported by myLondon, Watkis “beat Junior Coleman, 43, to death on the evening of” 9 July and left his body “in a derelict building”.

The Metropolitan Police’s own news release described the conviction as the result of a “meticulous investigation by detectives”.

AOL and other news sites referred to Coleman as a “much-loved father” whose body was hidden “under tarpaulin in a derelict building”.

BBC News and other outlets earlier reported the murder charge after Coleman’s body was found in the derelict building in Lewisham, noting that he was reported missing on 20 August and his remains were found a month later.

What legal proceedings followed the discovery of the body?

Daniel Watkis, then 39, was charged with murder on Friday, 26 September. He appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on the same day, where he was dealt with for the purposes of the case, according to the London Borough of Croydon and other reports.

Subsequent reports indicated that Watkis appeared at court again as the case was prepared for trial, with outlets such as the Wandsworth Guardian and Metro describing the development as a

“murder accused appears in court over body found in derelict building”.

The trial ultimately took place at Woolwich Crown Court, where Watkis was found guilty on 10 July, as confirmed by the Metropolitan Police.

Background of the Lewisham Murder Investigation

This case originated in the former Brockley Social Club on Brockley Road in Lewisham, derelict premises that had become a place where vulnerable individuals, including both Coleman and Watkis, were sleeping rough. Junior Ryan Coleman, 43, was reported missing on 20 August 2025 after concerns grew among his family and others who knew him.

Officers launched enquiries into Coleman’s disappearance and, on 19 September 2025, carried out a search at the former social club, where his body was found concealed beneath a tarpaulin and other items in a rear bar area. Items belonging to Watkis – including his bank card, Freedom Pass and provisional driving licence – were discovered close to the body, with the bank card and Freedom Pass last used on 9 July, the day of the murder.

A post-mortem examination concluded that Coleman had died from blunt force trauma to the head and face, consistent with repeated heavy blows from a blunt object. Watkis was arrested on suspicion of murder on 24 September at his address in Hackney.

In interview, he largely answered “no comment”, denied murdering Coleman and at times denied even knowing him, despite evidence that the two men had spent time together and both stayed at the former social club.

The case was led by Detective Chief Inspector Suzanne Soren, who described it as a “complex investigation” that relied on “hundreds of individual lines of enquiry over many months”.

How will this conviction affect Lewisham residents and people sleeping rough?

For Lewisham residents, the conviction is likely to reinforce a perception that serious crimes in the borough will be pursued thoroughly, even when they involve vulnerable victims and occur in abandoned premises. DCI Soren explicitly stated that the verdict

“sends a clear message that those responsible for the most serious crimes cannot rely on time, concealment or deception to escape justice”.

That message may increase confidence in local policing, particularly among those who have feared that crimes involving people sleeping rough might be overlooked.

For people sleeping rough in Lewisham and surrounding South London areas, the case may have both protective and worrying implications.

On one hand, the detailed investigation and successful conviction could deter potential assailants who might believe that anonymity or the condition of a victim (e.g. being homeless) would make them less likely to be pursued.

The emphasis on CCTV, digital evidence and forensic linkage suggests that even in derelict buildings, contemporary investigative techniques can trace individuals and establish guilt. This may encourage some rough sleepers to feel that they are not invisible to the police and that attacks on them will be treated as serious crimes.

On the other hand, the case highlights the extreme vulnerability of individuals living in abandoned or unsafe premises such as the former Brockley Social Club.

The fact that both men had been sleeping rough in the same venue underscores how such environments can become sites of conflict and violence with limited natural surveillance or protection.

The conviction may prompt local authorities, housing services and community groups to reassess the safety of derelict properties and consider whether more support, outreach or secure accommodation options are needed for people sleeping rough in Lewisham and adjacent boroughs.

In practical terms, the case may also influence how missing person reports for people sleeping rough are handled. Coleman was reported missing by his family after growing concern, and that led to a search that ultimately uncovered his body.

This could encourage families, support workers and local residents to report missing individuals sooner, knowing that police will treat such reports seriously and act on them even when the person’s usual residence is uncertain.

Overall, the conviction is likely to be seen by many in Lewisham as both a measure of justice for Coleman’s family and a signal that the borough’s police service will not allow serious crimes to go unpunished, regardless of the circumstances in which they occur.