4:10pm Tuesday 3rd November 2009
By Thais Portilho-Shrimpton
The girlfriend of a man beaten to death on Halloween night has paid tribute to him today.
Allanna Devine, 28, from Morden, saw yobs kick and punch boyfriend Ben Gardner, 30, after he tried to retrieve the witch’s hat they had taken from her head.
Miss Devine said: “He was the most wonderful, caring and considerate man I had ever met.
"It was a privilege to be his girlfriend and I loved him dearly.
"It’s completely devastating that he was taken away from us and it breaks my heart that I will never see his beautiful smile again.”
Best friend Will Fearnley-Whittingstall, 30, from Farnborough, also paid tribute to Mr Gardner, who worked as a spreadsheet developer.
He said: "I’m sure many people know someone like Ben. He was a friend to everyone, well-liked, popular and funny.
"He always had time for his friends and couldn’t be more devoted to his grandmother.
“I was privileged to have Ben as my best man and the godfather to my son, Jack.
"Jack thought of him as an uncle and Ben would spoil him rotten. But that’s the sort of man Ben was - he was at his happiest making others smile.”
He described the attack as “senseless” and spoke of Mr Gardner’s family’s pain.
Speaking later to the BBC, Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall, a cousin of TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, said: "The family, as you can imagine, they are not doing very well. A light has gone out in their lives and his grandmother is, in one word, devastated.
"Ben was a wonderful, caring, happy man. I've known Ben pretty much all my life. We were like brothers in many ways.
"Ben was the first person to protect the people he cared about and that's all he was doing."
Police Constable Teri Carter, who knew Mr Gardner as a child said: “I heard about Ben's death through my line of work as a police officer.
"My family and I are truly shocked by this news.
"My mum was very good friends with Ben's mum and, when we were younger we would often stay at Ben’s house with his sister, or they would come to ours.
“I have very fond memories of my time with them and deeply saddened upon hearing what happened at the weekend.
“What has happened is tragic. Really tragic. I know I speak for my mum and sister when we send our thoughts and love to Ben's sister, grandmother, girlfriend and family.”
The attack happened in Throwley Way, Sutton, at about 3.30am. Police are now appealing for witnesses.
A 20-year-old man is currently in custody at a south London police station, along with two other 20-year-old men, also arrested in connection with the murder investigation.
Two other men, a 25-year-old and 21-year-old who were also arrested have been bailed pending further enquires.
Four other people arrested - two men aged 24 and 25, and two women, aged 25 and 26, have been released with no further action.
Anyone with information should call the incident room on 020 8721 4005 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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