THE year began in tragedy for one Purley family, after 22-year-old Stephen Ashton was murdered while on holiday in Thailand.
Stephen, a former Riddlesdown School pupil, was shot dead during a New Year's Eve party, after being caught in the crossfire of a gun battle between rival gangs.
His mother, Diane Ashton, of Verulam Avenue in Purley, said: "He had always wanted to travel and we wanted to encourage him in that. He had wanted to take some time out after the death of his dad, which he was devastated about.
"It is just unbelievable that he has now gone. He just had such a zest for life. He was such a talented lad. Everything he did he seemed to do well at. Whatever he did, he took to water."
POLICE launched a murder probe after the body of a nurse was found in the boot of a car in Thornton Heath.
Mother-of-two Janelle Duncan-Bailey was reported missing on January 2 after she failed to collect her two young sons from a friend's house.
Police launched an appeal to help to find the 25-year-old, but three days later her body was discovered in a parked car in Mayfield Crescent.
Jerome McDonald, 31, her ex-partner and father of her youngest child, was acquitted of murder at a trial in September, but convicted of manslaughter – meaning he could be out of jail in four years.
Janelle's family appealed the sentence but the Attorney General ruled eight years was an appropriate punishment, following a review.
At the time of her death, Janelle's mother Ann Bailey said: "There are no words to describe how I feel. The mere fact that I can't even come up with a word should be able to explain how this is just a nightmare.
"I keep hoping that I will wake up out of it, but I can't, so I know it's real."
MAYOR of London Boris Johnson's announcement that retail giants Westfield and Hammerson had agreed to work together on a £1bn revamp of the Whitgift Centre was hailed as a huge boost to Croydon.
After months of negotiation and stalemate, the two firms made the surprise decision to work together on a joint venture, creating 5,000 new jobs and, in the words of the flamboyant mayor, turning Croydon into the "economic powerhouse of south London".
Under the plans – approved by Croydon Council in November – much of the existing centre will be pulled down and replaced with 1.5 million square feet of retail space including a major department store, a state-of-the-art cinema complex, bowling alley, restaurants and bars.
A TUBBY benefit cheat who conned taxpayers out of thousands of pounds while selling £125 burgers in a luxury gastropub begged not to be jailed – because he was too fat.
Bentley-driving Stephen Sussams, 59, who swindled nearly £15,000 in housing and council tax benefit, appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court on January 11, when his lawyer claimed he should not be jailed because he was obese.
But Judge Peter Gower ignored the plea and ordered Sussams, who also stole £17,000 from a dead man's bank account, be jailed for eight months.
Sussams, of Marston Way, Norbury, denied four counts of benefit fraud and one count of theft, but was found guilty after a trial.
THE seemingly annual big freeze hit Croydon on January 18, bringing its usual mix of fun and chaos.
Youngsters took the opportunity to build snowmen and get on their sledges, but trains were cancelled, roads were blocked and more than 40 schools across the borough closed as temperatures plummeted and the snow fell.
Croydon Council wasere forced to use more than 500 tonnes of grit to treat icy roads and pavements.
SPEAKING of ice, a well-known supermarket chain's store in New Addington lived up to its name this month.
Iceland, on Central Parade, was cordoned off for a period on January 22, amid fears dangerous icicles hanging above the doorway could injure shoppers.
Firefighters decided it was too risky to knock the icicles down, in case they also brought down the guttering, which was sinking under the weight of the snow.
They changed their mind, however, returning the following morning to remove the icy danger.
Daring teenager Michael O'Reilly, 17, of King Henry's Drive, was one of a number of shoppers who defied the cordon – to buy fried chicken.
He said: "They are dangerous. I have never seen them that big before."
