Sister’s anguish after 20-year-old is knifed near Corbyn’s home
THe grieving sister of a young man stabbed to death near Jeremy Corbyn’s home has called for an end to ‘mindless’ violence after 60 killings in London so far this year.
Kwasi Anim-Boadu was just weeks from his 21st birthday when he was knifed after a fight broke out at a house party at the top of the Labour leader’s road in north London.
He was the 60th victim to be killed in the capital this year after London’s murder rate overtook New York’s in February and March. Yesterday his distraught elder sister Naya paid tribute to the keen footballer who died early on Saturday.
‘His life was cut short due to a brutal and violent, mindless act of knife crime,’ she said. ‘Kwasi was a young boy who was full of life, he brought joy to everyone around him through his conspicuous smile and heartwarming aura. He was to turn 21 in May and had his whole life ahead of him. This has now come to an end.’
She pleaded for an end to the ‘madness’ of knife crime.
‘Kwasi was taken away from us in a blink of an eye,’ she added. ‘His life was lost in a matter of seconds,
‘The pain is indescribable’
however he will be in our hearts for ever. If you love our community – stop killing one another.’
She wrote online: ‘Guys this needs to stop. The pain I’m experiencing is indescribable.’
Mr Anim-Boadu was pronounced dead in the street after being found injured in the Finsbury Park area of Islington – just three miles from where his family live.
The popular former pupil at the Roman Catholic Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in West London was described as a ‘joker’ as friends paid tribute online. One said: ‘My heart shattered into a million pieces. Stabbings are just statistics until they happen to a loved one.’
Mr Anim-Boadu’s family have set up a crowdfunding page to pay for his funeral. It had raised £1,500 in just a few hours last night.
Police believe the victim, who was also known by the nicknames Junior and Lavish, had been involved in a fight on the Andover estate with a large group of people at about 3am. Last night officers were quizzing a 21-year-old man found nearby with knife wounds to his hand, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, possession of an offensive weapon and affray.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘Last night, a young man in Finsbury Park was stabbed to death – another life unnecessarily lost to violent crime on our streets.
‘My thoughts are with his family and friends. I have spoken to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and remain in close contact with the Metropolitan Police, Islington Council and the local Member of Parliament.
‘The Met Police are using extra City Hall resources to fight this scourge and to remove violent criminals and weapons from the streets. We are also working tirelessly with the Met Police, community and youth groups, health and education services, and local and national government on preventing young people getting dragged into lives of violent crime.’
The tragedy came just hours after another young man died following a street fight elsewhere in London. Aaron Springett, 32, was attacked outside a bookmakers in Morden, South-West London, near his home at 9.55pm on Thursday night.
The labourer was taken to a South London hospital in a critical condition after suffering a blunt force injury to his chest, but he died on Friday night.
A relative who set up a memorial page on Facebook wrote: ‘I’ve not stopped getting messages and love for my brother who is sadly missed. I still can’t believe it myself.’
Dean Kybert paid tribute to his cousin: ‘I think and have always thought that you are an amazingly generous person always putting yourself last.’ Another friend Rachael Larcombe added: ‘I can’t believe it. So shocked. Such a funny crazy dude.’
Yesterday detectives charged Joseph Otinkoran Ankrah, 31, with murder.