Brutal Squat Murder: Henfield Man Beaten to Death, Thrown from Balcony
Party Turns Deadly in Disused Building
On New Year’s Day 2020, 24-year-old Bill Henham from Henfield was savagely beaten unconscious and dropped into a recessed courtyard at a rundown squat on North Street. The former office block was hosting a chaotic party when the horrific attack took place.
Bill suffered over 60 injuries, including a brain haemorrhage, 11 broken ribs, and multiple cuts and bruises. He was punched, kicked, stamped on, and viciously struck with a wooden bannister spindle.
Four Sentenced to Life for Murder
After a tense 10-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court, four men were convicted of Bill’s murder on January 24. Dushane Meikle, 28, from Hove, Gregory Hawley, 29, a self-proclaimed “squat boss,” Lamech Gordon-Carew, 20, from Middlesex, and 19-year-old Alize Spence, from Croydon, all denied the charges but were found guilty.
Last Friday at Hove Crown Court, all four received life sentences. Hawley and Meikle face a minimum of 25 years behind bars, while Gordon-Carew and Spence must serve at least 18 years.
Chilling Details of the Attack
Police believe Bill’s ordeal started on the building’s second floor before he was dragged to a tiny room on the first floor to continue the savage assault. The violence culminated with Bill being stripped, doused in disinfectant, and then thrown over a balcony railing into an 11-foot deep courtyard below.
Investigators found bleach bottles and other bleach-soaked cloths at the scene, indicating attempts to clean up the crime. Hawley reportedly boasted about stripping Bill and bleaching his body, even laughing about the attack during and after the party.
Investigation and Arrests
- Police were called on January 2 after receiving reports of a man being battered and dropped from a balcony during the party.
- Bill’s body was found unconscious but lifeless in the courtyard shortly after.
- Four men and a 16-year-old boy were arrested shortly thereafter. One suspect was later released without charge.
- Meikle was found with deleted photos of Bill’s battered body on his phone.
- Multiple witnesses identified Hawley, Gordon-Carew, and Meikle in police line-ups.
- The Sussex and Surrey Major Crime Team led an intense 16-month forensic investigation that secured the convictions.
This brutal killing at a squat party shocked the local community and serves as a grim warning about the dangers lurking in abandoned buildings.
