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Penge shooting: daughter appeals for information after man shot in Betts Park near Bromley
16:13, 12 August 2020
updated: 16:35, 12 August 2020
The daughter of a man who was shot in cold blood has pleaded for the public's help to catch his killer.
Dean Edwards was cutting through Betts Park, in Penge near Bromley, when he was shot in the head in what detectives believe was a case of mistaken identity.
One month on from the tragic incident, Mr Edwards' daughter Hollie has spoken out about her family's heartbreak.
She said: "Our dad was a friendly, bubbly and loving person.
"He was the best dad that we could have ever asked for and was an amazing grandad to our children.
"This last month, without him, has been the hardest time of our lives."
Mr Edwards had been walking home after meeting friends for a drink in the early hours of Sunday July 12 when the tragic shooting occurred.
CCTV footage showed him leaving the pub at 23:50hrs on the Saturday, and making his way home.
He then entered Betts Park at 00:15hrs and was walking towards the Croydon Road exit near Tremaine Road junction, when he was shot sometime between 00:15hrs and 01:00hrs.
No arrests have been made in connection with the incident, and Hollie is appealing to the public for help to find the person who killed her "funny, kind and generous" dad.
She said: "Dad couldn’t sing for toffee but still loved the karaoke and was the biggest Formula 1 fan that you could ever meet.
"If you needed help, he would be the first one there. He was never confrontational and hated arguments; he was a big softie at heart.
"He was a good, innocent person"
“It doesn’t seem real. Every day, I find myself expecting a phone call from him, which will never happen.
"We will never get to see him or hear his voice again. Not only have I lost my dad but I have lost my friend.
“He was a good, innocent person. Someone out there knows what happened to our dad. Someone knows who did this.
"Please come forward if you have any information that could help officers. Please speak to the police or Crimestoppers.”
Investigations into the shooting continue, and Senior Investigating Officer Det Ch Insp Kate Kieran says that the team is treating the incident as a case of mistaken identity.
She said: “The investigating team is now looking at anyone with criminality linked to the park or the area.
“Dean was an innocent family man who was just walking home after going out for a drink with his friends.
“He did not deserve to die as a result of such a horrific and extremely violent act.
“My team is working to piece together exactly what happened on the night and we will certainly not rest until we bring the individuals responsible for his death to justice.
“Did you see anyone in or around Betts Park acting suspiciously during the evening of Saturday, 12 July, into the early hours of Sunday? Perhaps you might have seen or heard something before or after this incident that did not feel quite right?
“There will be people out there who will know who has done this – they may well have heard someone talk about it – if you know anything then please contact the police.
“You may think that others have come forward and are reluctant to speak to us, but we urge you to please get in touch if you know anything at all, no matter how insignificant your information may seem.”
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact homicide detectives via the incident room on 020 8721 4868, or via 101 quoting CAD 1402/12JUL.
Alternatively, you can provide information 100% anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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