A man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the brutal murder of 60-year-old Brian Shields during a violent attack in Redbridge.

Marius Ziugzda, 48, of no fixed address, was sentenced on Thursday, 13 February at Wood Green Crown Court and will serve a minimum of 18 years behind bars.

Ziugzda was previously convicted of murder on Friday, 17 January, following a two-week trial. The court heard how he subjected Brian Shields — with whom he had been living in a disused pavilion in a park — to a sustained and fatal attack on 20 October 2022, causing blunt force trauma to his head and chest, consistent with multiple punches or kicks.

Detective Sergeant David Brooks, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said:

“Despite Ziugzda’s claims that he and Brian were friends, he subjected him to a sustained and ultimately fatal attack. This verdict is a testament to the hard work of the investigation team, the numerous witnesses who came forward, and the efforts of the wider police team.”

Emergency services were called at 11:14am on the day of the attack to Orchard Playing Fields (formerly Goodmayes Park Extension), where they found Brian unresponsive. Despite attempts to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

As officers cordoned off the area, Ziugzda approached and admitted he had been with Brian the night before. He bizarrely told officers: “I killed him today, I don’t know what… my friend, in the morning I killed him, now…” before becoming incoherent. Officers also noted visible scuff marks and scratches on Ziugzda’s hands.

During police interviews, Ziugzda later tried to downplay his remarks, claiming officers had misunderstood him. He said he and Brian had been drinking and smoking at the pavilion the night before, and that he had left briefly to buy water from a nearby shop, only to return and find Brian already dead.

However, CCTV footage contradicted his version of events. Investigators reviewed 10 hours of footage from nearby shops and discovered Ziugzda had visible red stains on his trousers — later confirmed by forensic analysis to be Brian’s blood.

Witnesses also reported hearing loud and aggressive shouting involving two male voices around 11pm on the night of the attack, further supporting the prosecution’s case.

Ziugzda was formally charged with murder on 23 October 2022.

The sentencing brings some closure to a tragic and violent case that shocked the local community.