My nephew's killer roams free while his son grows up without a dad… cops have given up, says Gogglebox star | The Sun
FORMER Gogglebox star Sandi Bogle claims that the police wanted to close the unsolved murder of her nephew.
Even though the case of Bjorn Brown is only seven years old, she says detectives appear to have given up hope of finding his killer – or killers.
That’s despite there being CCTV footage of two hooded people following the 23-year-old father-of-one prior to his slaying in south London on March 9 2017.
But Sandi, 59, and the rest of Bjorn’s family are determined to achieve justice no matter how long it takes.
Among the people who have tried to raise awareness of this senseless stabbing is rapper Stormzy, who was a childhood pal of the builder and musician.
Bjorn is not believed to have known his attackers and is suspected to be the victim of a street robbery.
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His death was another example of the knife crime epidemic which has blighted the capital with 14 teenagers stabbed to death this year.
Sandi, who appeared on the Channel 4 show Gogglebox until 2016, tells The Sun: “We were asked if we wanted to close the case. We said no, no, no, no, no it is staying open.
“I don’t wish nothing wicked on anybody but when you do something like that you take somebody’s life you shouldn’t be running around on the streets.”
She blasted the Met Police for not catching the dangerous killers.
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8Londoner Sandi, who now lives in Bristol, continued: “You have got two people that are out on the street who are killers essentially and they may strike again for all we know.
“So the attitude of the police to me is totally wrong. The attitude of the police should be let’s get these killers off the street. That should be the attitude.”
Grainy CCTV footage shows two males approaching Bjorn in Bensham Lane in Croydon before following him into nearby Kelling Gardens at around 8.30pm on March 29.
The suspects are then seen running back along Bensham Lane followed by Bjorn who had been stabbed.
He attempted to ride to help on his bike, but collapsed and died in hospital five days later from knife wounds to his shoulder.
Sandi says: “He fought to the end. I was at the hospital every day. And slept there, every day, praying and wishing that he pulled through.”
The heartache at losing her sister Maxine’s son comes across loud and clear.
She says: “You never forget. I remember him every single day, every single day.
"His picture is all over my phone, I’ve got his pictures downstairs like you never forget.
“His mum, she will never get over it.”
Bjorn, who was also known as Bugz, used to visit Sandi’s home regularly and was close pals with Stormzy.
Sandi says: “Stormzy, they grew up together. Stormzy did a one minute silence for him with his picture on all of their T-shirts at one of their concerts.”
The slaying means that Bjorn’s eight-year-old son has to grow up without his father.
“He has got a gorgeous young boy, his son is amazing,” she says.
Sandi also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and the Channel 4 reality show Famous and Fighting Crime.
For the later series she learned how to be a police officer and now gives talks about community policing.
She is not a bleeding heart liberal who simply blames the police for the rise in knife crime.
Sandi says: “We can’t just blame the police. We also as parents and the community have to be responsible too.
“Where are the parents that are allowing their kids to leave the house with these things?”
The outspoken star would like to see tougher punishments for people found carrying bladed weapons and to have a crackdown on the sale of zombie knives.
She fumes: “I can Google it and order it and get it sent to my house so where does it stop? Why is it still happening?”
Sandi went on Famous and Fighting Crime because she wanted to learn about policing following the death of her nephew.
It has led her to dedicate much of her time improving relations between the thin blue line and ethnic communities.
I can Google [zombie knife] and order it and get it sent to my house so where does it stop? Why is it still happening?
Sandi adds: “I do talks like big conferences with policing and community services, life craft, what the police can do more in the communities.
“We need to support more cultured policing. People of colour in the police force that can actually connect with communities that have a big amount of black people.
“I will talk about these issues because it needs to be said and it needs to be sorted.”
The Met Police insists it doesn't have any intention to close the case.
A spokesperson said: “Our thoughts continue to be with Bjorn’s family and friends following his murder in 2017.
“No unsolved murder investigation is ever closed and any further information or evidence that comes to light would be assessed.”
There is a £20,000 reward for information which leads to finding who stabbed Bjorn to death.
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Sandi says: “We are not going to stop until we find these killers.”
Anyone who has information that could assist police is asked to call 101 or tweet @MetCC. You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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