Camden stabbing: Murder victim, 16, 'banged on doors for help after being attacked with machete by three laughing killers'

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A 16-year-old boy was chased and stabbed with a machete by three killers who ran away “laughing” as he bled to death in London’s latest horrific street murder, witnesses said today.

Two of the attackers are said to have held the teenager as a third plunged a foot-long blade into his chest and back.

The victim banged on doors screaming “Help me, help me” but was said to have been turned away by terrified locals in Munster Square, near Regent’s Park.

Friends today paid tribute to the Arsenal supporter, saying he was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and had been due to receive his GCSE results later this month.

His death just after 11pm last night marks the 90th murder inquiry opened by Scotland Yard so far this year. Fifteen of those victims have been teenagers, 14 of whom were fatally stabbed.

Police and ambulance at the scene of the stabbing this morning

Just hours earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had pledged to “come down hard” on violent crime with longer prison sentences and increased police stop and search powers, alongside new opportunities to prevent young people from becoming caught on “the conveyor belt to crime”.

Neighbours today told of the distressing scenes as the boy was pursued into the estate of family homes before being attack.

Rosanara Begum, 55, said: “The boy was running away from them. Then we saw the two boys holding him and the other one stabbing him.

“As soon as I heard ‘Help me, help me’ I was on the phone to the ambulance. He was bleeding a lot.

"The attackers were skinny and just looked like teenagers. They were running off and they were screaming and laughing."

Her daughter added: “We saw three boys all wearing hoods all covered in black, the middle one had a long black machete type knife. It was really long.

Police officers stand at the cordon of the stabbing in Camden

“The boy that was stabbed was banging on someone’s door saying ‘help me, help me’.”

A resident, 50, said: “He was there on the ground covered. He had been banging on doors for help. He was desperate. We are scared, he was only a young boy. It’s a friendly area.. it’s a tragedy.”

Another witness told how the victim’s coat became caught in a door as he was shut out by a terrified neighbour after knocking to seek help.

Naqeeb Khan, 44, said: “He banged on the door and the guy had opened the door and then closed it when they saw he’d been stabbed.

“I called to the people to open their door to release his jacket because he was bleeding a lot. About 15 minutes later police came.

“When I was screaming, another man came out who lived a few doors away and we pulled his jacket out of the door and laid him on the ground.

Hours earlier, Boris Johnson had pledged to "come down hard" on violent crime
AP

“He was bleeding a lot. I didn’t speak to him a lot because I didn’t want him to waste his breath. He was dying in front of me.

“I told him to be patient… that was the best I could do.”

A large police cordon remained in Munster Square this morning, and stretched across a number of nearby roads.

An 18-year-old friend of the victim said: “He was the loveliest guy. He was just waiting for his GCSE results and they were going to be good. He was bright.

“He was in the wrong place at the wrong time he had nothing to do with gangs or anything like that.

"We all play football on the estate together for years with no problem. We are devastated. Nothing like this has ever happened to us.”

Another friend said: “He loved football and was a big Arsenal fan he was looking forward to the Premiership season. He had everything to live for.

“It’s unbelievable. He was killed over nothing. If it can happen to him it could happen to any of us.”

London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “The senseless death of a 16-year-old boy in Camden last night is another example of how violent crime destroys lives and traumatises communities. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Scotland Yard said: “Police were called at approximately 11.10pm to reports of a male stabbed in Munster Square. Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and the male was pronounced dead at the scene.

“A crime scene remains in place. No arrests have been made and enquiries into the circumstances remain ongoing.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 and quote CAD8433/12Aug.

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