Mother’s heartache after son Danny Pearce murdered for Rolex in Greenwich as his killer is jailed
Danny Pearce, 24, was shot and stabbed in front of girlfriend
(family handout)The mother of a man who was murdered for his £7,000 Rolex watch today spoke of her relief that the killers have been brought to justice, but said it would not “bring my baby back”.
Danny Pearce, 24, was shot and stabbed in front of girlfriend Stephanie Holland as they walked home from Oliver’s Jazz Club in Greenwich.
Two masked men had demanded the father-of-one’s designer watch, and when he refused to hand it over he was chased before they took turns stabbing him.
Ms Holland pulled the Rolex from her injured partner’s wrist and threw it to the muggers in a desperate bid to stop the July 2017 attack.
On Wednesday, 24-year-old David Egan – known as ‘Ghost’ – was convicted by a jury of murdering Mr Pearce in the mugging. His accomplice Jordan Bailey-Mascoll has already been jailed for at least 35 years of a life sentence for the killing.
Mr Pearce’s mother Jan Pearce told the Standard today: “At least he can’t take the life of another person and destroy another family. But they took my baby’s life away it won’t bring him back.
“He was an electrician, he worked so hard. They killed him and for what, a watch. They took his life and mine too, I will never get over this.”
She added: “These people are the lowest of the low. The police have been brilliant all the way along.
David Egan
“I received news no mother should have to when they killed my son. It’s still raw now three years later. But at least they are behind bars.”
Mr Pearce and Ms Holland were with two friends when Egan and Bailey-Mascoll, wearing balaclavas and crash helmets, arrived on a moped and confronted them in King William Walk, Greenwich, on July 15, 2017.
Prosecutor Sarah Przybylska told Inner London crown court one of the men shouted ‘’give me your watch’’ as they brandished the weapons, including a “gruesome” hunting knife, and Ms Holland screamed for them to “run”.
At least four gunshots were fired at Mr Pearce as he tried to flee, before Bailey-Mascoll stabbed him beside a parked car and then Egan cornered the injured man on the front steps of a flat.
Two masked men had demanded the father-of-one’s designer watch
Ms Holland told the original trial she witnessed her boyfriend being attacked and tried to stop it: “I just shouted at him: ‘I’ll give you the watch’. Danny was on the floor and I took the watch off and just threw it at them.”
The court heard Egan had made internet searches for Rolex watches and “zombie knife”, and after the killing he looked up: “How to take a bracelet off a Rolex”.
Detective Inspector Jo Sidaway, who investigated the case, said: “This was a truly horrific attack that took place in the street after Danny had enjoyed a night out with his girlfriend and their friends.
“He was subjected to a prolonged attack - the offenders chasing him up and down the street.
“Danny tried to seek refuge in a residential property, but as he did so he was repeatedly stabbed. The level of violence shown towards him was shocking.”
Egan, of Deptford, was found guilty of murder, possessing a firearm and robbery, as well as two unconnected robberies in July 2017. He is due to be sentence on Monday.
Bailey-Mascoll, of Dartford, Kent was convicted of murder, possessing a firearm, possessing an imitation firearm and robbery, and sentenced to life with a minimum 35 years in July 2018.
