Peckham man who beat own mother to death saying broken ribs ‘by resuscitation’ was sentenced to 21 years

A Peckham man has been jailed for a minimum of 21 years after beating his own mother to death. He was sentenced on April 16 after being found guilty of her murder in March 2020.

Steffon Hewitt, 51, of Blake’s Road in Peckham was found guilty at Isleworth Crown Court of the murder of his mother, 68-year-old Vanita Nowell. His mother had come to live with him from Barbados the year before her murder.

Hewitt blamed his mother’s death on her falling due to her dementia, but investigators discovered this was untrue when they looked at forensic and medical evidence. Prosecutors said it was instead a vicious attack by Hewitt that caused his mother’s death.

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Hewitt called emergency services to his home on Sunday, March 8, 2020, saying he found his mother unconscious on the bathroom floor. When paramedics arrived, Vanita was already dead.

Hewitt said he tried CPR to revive her and may have broken a few ribs. However, when doctors later looked at her, they concluded that the extent of the fractures could not have been caused by performing CPR.

In total, Vanita suffered 28 fresh rib fractures, and six fractures of her spine, with extensive bruising throughout. She also suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Detective Inspector Nick Stocking, part of the team leading the murder investigation, said: “Hewitt showed no remorse when he murdered his mother, inflicting significant and extensive injuries, resulting in what would have been an agonizing death. Vanita suffered 28 fresh rib fractures and six fractures of her spine, in addition to extensive bruising to her face, head and body. She also suffered a traumatic brain injury.

“This was a vicious attack, but Hewitt tried to blame it on his mother’s constant falls due to her dementia. A combination of forensic and medical evidence proved this was untrue, and this is reflected in today’s sentencing.”

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