Ex-Gogglebox star Sandi Bogle ‘still wakes up crying’ five years on from nephew’s unsolved murder
Bjorn Brown, a childhood friend of rapper Stormzy, was stabbed to death in south London in March 2017 but his killers have never been caught
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Former Gogglebox star Sandi Bogle has spoken of her “disgust” at her nephew’s murder remaining unsolved five years after he was stabbed to death.
Ms Bogle, who appeared on the first episode of the Channel 4 series back in 2013, revealed she still wakes up crying over the killing of 23-year-old Bjorn Brown.
The father-of-one was stabbed in Croydon, south London, in March 2017 and tried to cycle to a nearby hospital before collapsing. He died less than a week later on 3 April.
Ms Bogle previously revealed rapper Stormzy was a childhood friend of her nephew and had been supportive of his family’s campaign for justice, including tweeting after his death and holding a minute’s silence at one of his concerts.
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On the second anniversary of the father’s death, police released CCTV footage of the moments before and after the stabbing, which showed two male suspects.
They also offered a £20,000 reward for information but no one has been caught.
Ms Bogle, from Thornton Heath, south London, said there had been a “wall of silence” since her nephew’s death and that she felt “sick” at the thought his killers could strike again.
She told Sky News: “It’s terrifying because [the killers] feel like they’ve got away with it so they could go and do it to somebody else.”
She added: “I think it’s disgusting that after what they’ve done, they can still get away with it and still be out there running around, living their lives, like they’ve not done anything wrong.
“I really believe people out there know who has done it, but it’s always a wall of silence.”
Ms Bogle said she felt like she was “having a heart attack” when her sister told her in a phone call that her nephew had been stabbed.
“Every day is still a worry that they could do this to somebody else,” she told the broadcaster. “We still cry. I still cry now and again because you never forget.”
New figures uncovered by Sky News reveal 350 killings - 12 per cent of all manslaughter and murder cases - have remained unsolved in London in the last 20 years. More than half (55 per cent) of these victims were black or Asian.
Ms Bogle told the broadcaster she felt “disgust” that so many killers had not been brought to justice.
However the reality star, who left Gogglebox in 2016 to pursue a singing career and appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, said she remained “very hopeful” her nephew’s killers would one day be caught.
“I’m a very spiritual person and God works in mysterious ways,” she told Sky. “I hope they’re not thinking they’ve got away with it, because they haven’t.”
Commander Paul Brogden, head of the Met’s Homicide and Specialist Crime Command, said: “Our homicide investigations are strong. This year 99 per cent of homicide cases have already resulted in criminal charges being brought and our investigations continue at pace.
“Homicide investigations are lengthy and complex, and in some cases do take years to come to conclusion.
“Whilst this is incredibly difficult for those looking for answers, I want to assure loved ones that the Met has a long memory and that all such unsolved cases remain under regular review.
“Sadly, different crimes affect different groups more than others and it remains a tragic truth that violence disproportionately affects boys and young men, particularly of African-Caribbean heritage, both in terms of being victims and perpetrators.
“We continue to appeal for information in relation to the murder of Bjorn Brown in Thornton Heath in 2017.
“It is never too late to come forward and we urge anyone who knows anything to contact us, or if you wish to remain anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100 per cent anonymously.”