A violent drug dealer, who murdered his older love-rival who kept £14,000 cash plus contraband belonging to the criminal, has been locked up for at least 26 years.
Dwayne Cupidon, 26, is believed to have dismembered 60 year-old George Smith’s body in the bathtub of his house in Finch Close, Barnet, North London.
The victim has never been found.
Divorced father-of-three Mr. Smith (pic.top) enjoyed a relationship with a woman thirty years his junior who also involved with Cupidon (pic.bottom).
During the three week Old Bailey trial the court heard Mr. Smith spent Saturday August 22, last year at his flat drinking with a neighbour.
When the neighbour left Mr. Smith’s flat at around 6 p.m. that evening, Mr. Smith's words to him were: “See you Sunday”, but he was never seen again.
By August 26 Mr. Smith's family and friends were growing increasingly concerned as phone calls went unanswered and no one heard from him.
That evening Mr. Smith’s ex-wife and nephew used their key to let themselves into the house.
At first glance it was as if Mr. Smith had just popped out; there was a half-empty glass of cider in the kitchen (those who knew Mr. Smith say that he would never have left a drink unfinished), his glasses, tablets and cigarettes were all there and in the bathroom were a pair of trousers with the wallet still in the pocket.
It was when they noticed spots of blood around the bath and on the floor of the living room that they became very concerned and rang the police.
Officers immediately gave his disappearance a high priority and an investigation was launched by the Metropolitan Police Service's (MPS) Homicide and Serious Crime Command.
Despite attempts to clean the premises of blood following the murder, evidence (blood and tissue) collected at the scene indicated that Mr. Smith had sustained a serious injury.
It was established Mr. Smith had been in a relationship with a younger woman who was also involved with drug dealer Cupidon.
The relationship between Cupidon and the woman was a volatile one and when they argued she would turn to Mr. Smith.
During one of these periods she asked Mr. Smith to collect her clothes and belongings from her flat.
On this occasion he also took a safe containing drugs and approximately £14,000 of Cupidon's money, which he kept.
The prosecution believe Cupidon killed Mr. Smith in retaliation for the theft of his drugs and money.
On September 8 when Cupidon was arrested, he was carrying a rucksack stained with Mr. Smith’s blood.
The bag contained a pair of shoes with the same sole pattern as bloodstained footprints found inside the flat.
Detective Inspector Glen Lloyd of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: “I appreciate that the details put before the court could not have been pleasant for the jury to have to consider.
“The forensic evidence presented to the court ensured we were able to prove beyond doubt that George Smith is dead, murdered at the hands of Dwayne Cupidon.
“I hope he will now show respect and compassion to Mr. Smith's family and tell us where his remains are so that they are able to bury the man they loved.”
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