Murdered for his Rolex
Student knifed near Harrods was third stab death in a day
‘A struggle and he was stabbed’
A STUDENT was stabbed to death outside Harrods yesterday after masked muggers targeted him for his Rolex watch.
Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Araimi, 24, was one of three young men murdered in London inside 12 hours when he was set upon as he strolled home from a restaurant.
The Omani national was stabbed in the back around 1am after trying to resist his attackers outside the department store in affluent Knightsbridge.
The killing spree across the capital takes the number of murder investigations launched this year to 136 so far – equal to the total for the whole of last year.
The Met Police last night condemned the ‘senseless violence’ and sought to reassure the public that tackling violence was their ‘ number one priority’. Mr Al Araimi, who was said to have lived in the UK for three years, was found unconscious at the scene. A friend of the victim told MailOnline: ‘Mohammed was walking past Harrods last night with a friend from Bahrain when they were confronted by muggers.
‘One of the thieves tried to steal Mohammed’s expensive watch – I think a Rolex – but he fought back. There was a struggle and he was stabbed.
‘His friend tried to help and was also stabbed. Mohammed sadly died but his friend survived and is in hospital at the moment.’
Mr Al Araimi’s parents, who are being supported by the Omani Embassy, are flying into the capital, the friend said. He added: ‘This is a truly awful, shocking crime to happen in the middle of London in front of such a famous department store known all around the world. ‘Surely there must be CCTV cameras that have picked up something the police can use.’ His death came just hours after a 22-year- old man, Exauce Ngimbi, was knifed to death in a fight outside a row of shops in Hackney, east London. Scotland Yard said three men aged 23, two aged 26, and a 14year-old boy have been arrested over the killing.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Considine said: ‘Exauce’s family are devastated but I want to assure them, and the wider public, that we will work tirelessly to ensure those responsible for this murder face justice.’
There was further bloodshed in the capital at 3am yesterday when officers were called to reports of another stabbing in Deptford, south-east London.
The victim – named online by his stage name ‘Bis’ – is believed to be a friend of England footballer Jadon Sancho, 19, who tweeted his picture with the tribute ‘Rest up Bis’. He died at the scene half an hour after officers arrived. No arrests have been made. Last night, police said they would boost the number of officers patrolling the areas where the attacks took place. Commander Jane Connors, from the Met Police, said: ‘Each one of these attacks is a tragedy, not just for the victims and their families and friends, but for our wider communities who are left reeling by this senseless violence. ‘And the common factor in each one is that someone was willing to carry a knife on the streets of the capital.’ The Met Police said none of the murders were linked.