When fourteen year old Breck Bednar left his father’s house for the final time on 16th February 2014 he could have had no idea what fate awaited him as he got into the taxi which had been ordered to pick him up and take him on the thirty mile trip to his ultimate demise.
Breck Bednar was born on 17th March 1999 and was the eldest brother of four. He lived in Caterham, Surrey, with his triplet siblings – two sisters and a brother – and his mother Lorin. He attended St Bede’s School where he was flourishing academically.
In his spare time after school, Breck would spend hours and hours in his bedroom playing online games with his friends. It was during one of these sessions where Breck and his friends first encountered Lewis Daynes.
Lewis Daynes was everything Breck wished he could be – owner of mult national American organisations, worked for the Secret Service and lived in New York. Daynes had the lifestyle Breck and his friends could only dream of. Daynes began to infiltrate their lives with tales of grandeur, not to mention buying the boys new games which they loved. Daynes also promised Breck that he would have a job in I.T. working for one of his companies once he left school. Breck was in awe of this suave, international tycoon. What was not to love?
Daynes even got on well with Breck’s mother, having mini banter with her whenever she popped her head round Breck’s bedroom door.
After a while, Lorin did question the validity of Lewis Daynes as the picture she was shown of him didn’t match the deep voice she was hearing out of Dayne’s mouth. However, Breck simply defended his online pal by saying that Daynes wasn’t allowed to use his real photo as he was working for the US Government, for the FBI doing contract work and needed to keep his identity a secret.
Daynes continued to get into Breck’s head when he proclaimed that he had made $2 million in Bitcoin and gave it all away to the Syrian rebels. The level of respect and awe Breck had for Daynes must have been huge.
Meanwhile, Breck’s real life friends began to grow wary of Daynes. They became suspicious as their new friend refused to send an actual real picture of himself and every time they suggested going on webcam, he refused. I mean, all they wanted was confirmation that he was who he said he was. Fair enough.
Additionally, Daynes continually never turned up to meet ups they planned. The boys grew tired of this continual fobbing off. Daynes just didn’t seem to have a presence on social media at all. They wondered just who it was they were talking to all this time.
The servers the boys played their games on belonged to Daynes and whenever they pulled him up on any obvious lies, he would simply remove them from the server. They were in a no win situation. They tried several times to warn Breck, but Daynes would always take him into a private server so they could discuss ‘private stuff’ without the interference of Breck’s friends.
This was clear grooming from Daynes. Isolating Breck from his friends and family.
In the meantime, Daynes had begun working on Breck’s mother. He began making snide comments whenever Lorin popped her head round the door instead of the cheery banter of old.
Lorin grew extremely wary of Daynes, fearing that her son was being groomed so kept a very close eye on him. Breck’s attitude towards her and had noticeably changed from the happy, warm-hearted child he was.
Every sentance appeared to be preceded with “Lewis says…”
Breck stopped going to church and his reasoning was, “Lewis says I don’t believe in God, so why should I have to go to church?”
When his mother asked him to tidy up after himself, he responded with “Lewis says I don’t make any mess, so why should i have to clean up?”
And in conversation about schooling he said “Lewis says I can get a Microsoft apprenticeship so I won’t have to finish school”.
Daynes appeared to have truly gotten into Breck’s psyche and the boy was besotted with him. This is a very clear example of grooming and should be taken note of by all.
Breck’s mother became frustrated, wondering just who it was that was controlling her son’s life. In desperation, she went onto live chat with Daynes to have it out with him. She sat there and watched and listened as this stranger told her how to parent her child. Lorin hit back and told him not to tell her how to parent. She will do what’s best for her family and that’s that.
Following this incident, in December 2013. some nine months after Breck first met Daynes, Lorin decided to report it to Surrey Police. She told them how Lewis Daynes was grooming her son. At the end of the call, the operator promised her that the matter would be looked into. Lorin left the conversation feeling relieved.
She took matters one step further though and removed Breck’s computing equipment from his room and forbade him from speaking to Daynes.
During the week that followed, Breck appeared to be returning to his old self. Daynes was out of their life and he was back to his happy, good natured self.
Little did Lorin know but the police operator had failed to follow up her call. If they had typed in the name Lewis Daynes into their database they would have found he was indeed known to the police.
Daynes had prior allegations against him of rape of a 15 year old boy and having indecent images of young boys on his computer.
So who was the real Lewis Daynes?
Daynes was far from the international businessman with millions of dollars worth of companies. He was a lonely 18 year old who lived alone in a lonely little flat in Essex. His upbringing was a sad one. His parents separated and he was abandoned by his mother at eleven years old. His mum moved to Egypt with her new husband. He spent his childhood in and out of foster care and lived alone by the age of sixteen.
This is the real Lewis Daynes. Never forget it.
In February 2014, Breck was setting off for a foreign exchange trip to Spain with his school. However, unbeknown to his mother, Daynes had couriered him a mobile phone so that they could continue to chat after his computer was taken away from him.
This is some serious level grooming.
While away in Spain and, more importantly, away from his family, Breck was bombarded with text messages from Daynes. He had unlimited and unrestricted access to the boy and his vulnerable mind. Daynes sent text after text telling Breck how he has a huge business deal going on and he needed Breck’s help. There would be a huge payday to the tune of millions of dollars for Breck.
When Breck returned from Spain, he went straight from the airport to his father’s house. It was their weekend to be together. While there, Daynes sent Breck plans of what was going to happen on that Sunday 16th February 2014. A taxi was pre-booked and would come and pick him up to take him to Grays, Essex.
Daynes sent Breck an email with a hugely elaborate cover story to tell his dad. He would be saying he’s going to spend the night at his friend’s house. Daynes even went to the extent of making up a friend’s name for him. The level of detail was frightening. So carefully planned out to ensure Breck was able to make the trip.
On the morning of 16th February Breck left his dad’s house at 8.30am, taking the thirty minute taxi journey to Dayne’s flat in Essex.. He wouldn’t be seen alive again.
The following morning, 17th February, at 11.04am, a police emergency call was made by Lewis Daynes.
My friend and I had a struggle and only one of us came out alive
The call was chilling. The level of calmness he showed was chilling. He simply directed the call operator to the things he had done – or his version of it – with zero emotion or feeling.
The police arrived within minutes to find Breck’s lifeless body. They also found the knife in the hallway as Daynes had told the call operator, bags of clothing, bloodstains all over the flat and an attempt by Daynes to destroy his electronic devices.
Daynes did not, however, touch Breck’s laptop which will have had plenty of evidence on it. Additionally, and very telling, Daynes sent pictures of Breck’s dead body to two of his closest friends. Sickeningly, word got out about Breck’s passing before his family even found out about it.
Lewis Daynes there’s no doubt about it is one sick individual.
When the case went to court Daynes was claiming self defence. That is despite the overwhelming evidence against him. Just days before the murder, Daynes had purchased duct tape and condoms, both of which were proven to have been used that day. The evidence pointed towards Breck having being bound by duct tape and it being sexually motivated.
Daynes continued to plead his innocence – right up until the last minute. As everyone got settled into court and ready for a long and very traumatic court case, Daynes stood up and pled guilty to the amazement of all concerned.
Did Daynes have his day in court? is that all he wanted?
Lewis Daynes was sentanced to life in prison with a minimum term of 25 years. Since then two letters have appeared online addressed to Breck’s mother, signed by Daynes. Lorin asserts it’s definitely him as it contained details only he would know. Daynes continued to taunt Breck’s mother even after everything he’s done.
