Mother's devastation: 'It seems so pointless... Sam wasn't into any crime, he was just an ordinary boy'

The mother of a 24-year-old student stabbed to death in a suspected mugging in south London told today of the family's devastation at his murder.

Sam Guidera was fatally wounded by muggers who left him lying in the middle of the road in a random attack in Sydenham. The university student had caught a train to Penge East before walking to a bus stop on the way to visit a friend when he was targeted shortly before 10pm last Saturday.

Today his family revealed that the point where he is thought to have been attacked in Newlands Park was not covered by CCTV, and urged anyone with information to contact police.

Mr Guidera's mother, Sarah, said: "We are all devastated. You think it is happening to someone else. It seems so pointless, I am absolutely so angry.

"I cannot believe that this happened to Sam. He was not into any crime or anything, he was just an ordinary individual who worked and studied and enjoyed his friends. All we want now is for these people to be caught."

Several people who saw Mr Guidera collapsed in the road went to his aid, at first believing he had been hit by a car. He was rushed to hospital, but died later.

Police are urging anyone who was at the scene to come forward and help the inquiry. Mr Guidera was studying history and politics at the University of Greenwich with the aim of becoming a teacher. His mother said he was in his first year and "absolutely loved university".

She said the head of humanities at Greenwich had contacted her to say that he was one of the brightest students in his year. Mrs Guidera said: "His ambition was to teach, he was passionate about wanting to teach history."

With a younger sister and an older brother, Mr Guidera was living at home with his parents. He worked at a Sainsbury's store on five days a week before going to university.

She said she and his father Christopher, a Royal Mail manager, had been struggling to cope. "The worst time is the morning when you wake up to the whole reality of what has happened."

Detective Chief Inspector Laurence Smith, who is leading the investigation, said: "We urgently want to speak to anyone who may have seen Sam on Saturday evening, whether they saw him in the train carriage or saw him getting off at just before 9.30pm."

Anyone with information is asked to call 020 8345 3734 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.