Yards from murder scene, a ‘stashed’ knife is found

LONDONERS yesterday expressed fears over gangs “stashing” knives on estates after another weapon was found yards from where a 16-year-old had been stabbed to death.

The teenager was killed on Monday night in Tulse Hill. His murder was the city’s fifth in six days and the 119th this year. It follows the fatal stabbings of Rocky Djelal, 38, in Southwark Park on Oct 31; Jay Hughes, 15, in Bellingham on Nov 1; Malcolm Mide-madariola, 17, at Clapham South Tube station on Friday, and a 22-year-old man in Anerley, south London, on Sunday.

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of Malcolm Mide-madariola, the Metropolitan Police said.

The Tulse Hill victim’s mother was heard screaming: “My son! My son!” as neighbours tried to keep him alive.

A group of youths who knew the boy said he was in the “LTH” – the Lower Tulse Hill gang. A girl of 17 said he had enemies because of his associates.

Yesterday, photographs on social media showed a knife – not used in the murder – that was found tucked among plants near the scene. It was thought to have been “stashed” by gang members who fear being caught with a weapon.

A young man who lives locally said knives were “stashed” so people knew where to find them if attacked.

Last night, it was revealed that four in 10 criminals caught with a knife more than once have avoided jail.

Adults caught with a knife for the second time should be given a prison sentence of at least six months under laws rolled out in 2015 but the Daily Mail said of 13,056 people convicted of a second knife offence since 2015, 4,906 were given suspended sentences, community orders, fines or cautions.

 Britain has an after-school “stabbing hour” when children are more at risk of attack, say researchers at Queen Mary University of London. They found a 4pm to 6pm peak that accounted for more than 22 per cent of the 172 stabbings of under-16s from 2004 to 2014.