Murdered teenager had previously been stabbed, run over and beaten unconscious
A TEENAGE boy stabbed to death in a west London mews in broad daylight had suffered three previous attempts on his life, it has emerged.
Ayub Hassan, 17, had been stabbed, run over and beaten unconscious in three separate attacks since the age of 12. The former college student from a White City housing estate was found on Thursday lunchtime lying in a pool of blood with a stab wound to his chest in a West Kensington street next to a Waitrose supermarket.
Residents in the three-storey £1million mews houses came out with towels to stem the bleeding before he was taken to St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, where he was later pronounced dead.
His friends and relatives insisted he was a “good boy” who harboured dreams of becoming a barrister and was not linked to any gang.
His mother, who was being comforted by relatives, was said to have collapsed with shock after learning her son, one of three children, had been murdered.
The single mother told relatives: “He’s my lovely boy. I loved my son. I wanted him to live to see his children, my grandchildren.”
Three youths, aged 15, 17 and 18 have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Ayub’s death was the fourth fatal stabbing in a week across the country and has led to a major debate between the Government and police about how best to tackle the crisis.
Last Friday, 17-year-old Jodie Chesney died after being stabbed in the back in a park in east London.
The following day, aspiring medic Yousef Makki, 17, died after being stabbed in the street in Cheshire.
On Wednesday, 26-year-old David Martinez was stabbed to death at a house in Leyton, east London.
The latest figures suggest that of the 100 people murdered in the UK in 2019, 41 had been the result of stabbings.
There has also been a sharp rise in the number of police-recorded knife crime offences since 2013, across every force area.
Rosie Hayes, who lives on the street where Ayub was attacked, told how she ran from home to try to stop the boy’s bleeding.
“I ran to get a towel. A wonderful nurse who was walking by took care of the situation. She was so professional and managed all of the first aid.
“We did everything we could to help. A neighbour got a pillow for him and tried to keep him warm.
“He was still conscious but he wasn’t able to speak. He wasn’t completely with it.”
She said that trouble had recently flared up in the neighbourhood, adding: “These things are happening all over London. When is it going to stop?”
Amina Osman, a community support worker who has known the family for nearly a decade, said Ayub had been attacked three times in the past five years.
“Since the age of 12, he had been stabbed once, run over and beaten unconscious in a park,” she said.
“This was the fourth attempt on his life. And aged 17, he is now dead. He is a victim.
“No one knows why these things happened. He was a good kid.
“They used to live in Fulham but moved to White City a few years ago. Everyone knows what goes on around there. It is not good. He was looking forward to becoming a barrister. He was very intelligent and very good with words and liked maths.”
A spokeswoman for West London College, where Ayub was a former student, said: “We are deeply saddened by the untimely death of former student Ayub Hassan.
“Understandably, this is a very difficult time for students and staff and we are continuing to offer them advice and support.”