Man, 27, charged with murder after Ukrainian lorry driver stabbed to death outside Belvedere station

A man has been charged with murder, after a Ukrainian lorry driver was stabbed to death outside Belvedere station.

Vitali Skrypniak, 45, was found lying outside the Bexley railway station with knife wounds on September 18 2021.

Paramedics tried desperately to save him but Mr Skrypniak, from Lviv Oblast, died at the scene.

A post-mortem examination held on September 21 gave cause of death as a single stab wound to the chest.

Christopher Brownly-Otiede, 27, of Sorrell Close, Thamesmead, was charged on Friday with his murder.

He appeared at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

Mr Skrypniak, who had a wife and son, arrived in the UK via Dover on August 15 to transport goods for a logistics company.

He was not on duty when he was stabbed, but was found five minutes from where his lorry was parked in Hailey Road.

The motive for his death remains unknown.

Mr Skyrpniak’s family previously said in a statement: "This is a great tragedy for our family.

“My daughter has lost her husband and their son a father.

“We want those responsible to be punished with the maximum penalty."

At the time of the incident, Det Ch Insp Mark Rogers said: "Vitali was a married man with a toddler back at home in Lviv Oblast.

“His death has torn their lives apart, leaving his wife distraught and a young boy without a father.

“Our thoughts are with them, and we are keeping them as informed as we can as our investigation progresses.

"Vitali worked hard as a lorry driver but was off shift at the time of the incident.”