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Homicide victims in London in 2024

Total: 35 (last updated 24/4/24)

See the map of London homicides in 2024

Note: This is not an official record and may differ from any lists compiled by police etc. It includes murder and manslaughter cases. Other deaths (e.g. unexplained) are listed separately afterwards.

Tia Simmonds, 32, was found stabbed to death in the attic of her home in Parbury Road, Lewisham, after her husband voluntarily attended a police station at 4.30am on 3 January. Shane Simmonds, 38 (10.02.85) of Parbury Road, SE23, was charged with murder on 4 January.
Jonah Ho-Shue, 24, was stabbed in Albert Road, Crouch End, Haringey, at around 10.43pm on 4 January. He died at the scene and the cause of death was recorded as a stab wound. DCI Mark Rogers said: “I’m urging anyone who can help to come forward and speak with us. Did you see or hear anything suspicious in the area of Albert Road last Thursday? Have you captured anything on your doorbell or dash cam? Please do the right thing and contact police.”
Anojan Gnaneswaran, 21, was stabbed at Strawberry Hill railway station in Twickenham, Richmond-Upon-Thames, at around 11.53pm on 8 January. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The British Transport Police took the lead in the investigation. Detectives said the attack was believed to be linked to another incident in Alexandra Close in Twickenham at around 11.57pm, during which a 16-year-old boy received a non-life threatening cut to his leg. On 13 February Dino Donaldson, 19, of Caxton Road, Ealing, was charged with murder. Anojan’s family said in a statement: “Anojan was a much-loved son and brother, and we are devastated that his young life has been ended in this way. He was in his third year at university studying accounting and finance and he was so excited for his future. He excelled at all sports and had achieved first-dan black belt in karate – he competed in the World and European championships in karate, and we will all miss him so much.”
Carlton McCloud, 47, was found stabbed in Old Kent Road, Southwark, at around 6.52am on 9 January. He died at the scene at 7.22am and the cause of death was recorded as sharp force trauma to the chest. Police said the attack took place inside a residential address nearby. Matthew Henry, 39 (06.12.84) of Coopers Road SE1, Nicole Quamina, 34 (27.06.89) of no fixed address, and Fabeo Alexandru De Sousa Pinto De Oliviera, 35 (25.09.88), were charged with murder.
Chaudhary Mahmood, 45, was found dead in a car at Stratford Centre car park in Stratford, Newham, at around 1.17am on 10 January. The postmortem examination revealed he had been stabbed 27 times. Police had traced the vehicle after being notified on the afternoon of 9 January about concerns from a member of public that the victim had potentially come to harm in London. Vasile Gorghescu, 41 (20.02.82) of Rayner Gardens, Southampton, was arrested on 10 January and charged with murder the following day. It is believed that Chaudhary was killed at the car park on 8 January.
Tyreece Scott, 24, was found stabbed in Grove Road, Hounslow, at around 1.15pm on 16 January. He died at the scene a short time later and the cause of death was recorded at postmortem as a stab wound to the chest. Two men, Ben Laing, 23 (22.05.00), of De Brome Road, Feltham, and Duarra Abdi, 19 (27.02.04), of Western Avenue, Acton, were arrested at Stansted Airport on 19 January after arriving back into the UK and charged with murder on 21 January.
Leila Young, 33, was found with stab wounds at a house in Penhill Road, Bexley, on 16 January. She was taken to hospital but died on 23 January. Tony Curant, 33 (22.10.90), of Penhill Road, was arrested on 20 January and charged with attempted murder the next day. The victim’s death may result in prosecutors seeking a murder charge.
Tyler Donnelly, 19, was found dead in Hanworth Park, Feltham, Hounslow, at around 7.40am on 25 January. He had been stabbed in the neck. Police said he had left his home at 9.10pm the previous day and rode his bike along Elmwood Avenue. He never returned home. Daniel Matos, 21 (27.04.02), of, Hounslow, Keith Preddie, 32 (11.06.91), of, Feltham, and Joshua Cowley, 27 (08.11.96), of, Hounslow, were charged with murder on 30 January.
Dimitrios Tsavdaris, 54, known as Jimmy, was found dead at a house in in Lansdowne Drive, Hackney, at around 12.30am on 29 January after police received a report of concern for the welfare of the occupant. The cause of death was found at postmortem examination to be injuries consistent with an assault. Bamidele Fawehinmi, 31 (26.09.92) of Clissold Close, Haringey, was charged with murder on 2 February. Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen, who is leading the investigation, appealed for information about the victim: “Although he had no fixed address, we know he had previously stayed at properties in Orkney Gardens, Wickford in Essex and Grenville Road in Islington. We would ask anyone who lives or works in those areas to think about whether they may have seen him in recent weeks and months.”
Bledi Petraj, 37, was stabbed in St Elizabeth’s Drive, Southgate, Enfield, at around 2.04pm on 4 February. He died in hospital later that afternoon. Suspect Kozma Papa, 21 (23.09.02), of Yate, Bristol, was stopped in a car in Hertfordshire the same day and charged with murder on 5 February.
Nathan Bawuah, 17, was stabbed in Hackney Road near the junction with Cremer Street, Hackney, at around 10.53pm on 17 February. He died at the scene. A 17-year-old boy was arrested on 19 February and charged with murder.
Basilio Dos Santos Antonio, 49, was found dead after a fire at a multiple-occupancy house in Glenister Park Road, Streatham, Lambeth, on 25 February. Police were called to the scene by the fire brigade at 7.07pm and the fire was treated as suspicious. Mayara Loiola Ataide, 34 (07.08.89) of no fixed address, and Gevaldo Tavares Dos Santos, 46 (13.10.77) of no fixed address, were charged with murder and arson with intent to endanger life on 28 February. Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, who is leading the investigation, said: “Basilio, who was originally from Brazil, had been in the UK for a number of years and worked as a cleaner.”
Robert Weston, 37, was found stabbed in Hamilton Crescent, Rayners Lane/South Harrow, Harrow, at around 2.05pm on 26 February. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Jaden Sheriff, 19 (22.01.05) of Forston Street, N1, was arrested on 27 February and charged with murder two days later.
Bernard Fowler, 87, was found injured on the floor outside Harold Wood railway station in Havering at around 4am on 27 February. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The British Transport Police led the investigation. Miles Skai, 22 (13/12/2001), of Brent Cross in Hendon, was charged with murder. Bernard’s family said in a statement: “Bernie was a dearly loved brother, father and grandfather who had been living in the area for over 20 years. He was a quiet, gentle man who lived alone but who, over the years, had helped many of the residents in his local community. The family are devastated by the news of his death; He didn’t deserve to be attacked in such a brutal way just going out to get his local paper.”
George Eric Rogers, 66, was stabbed in a flat in Lockhart Close, Enfield, on 1 March. Police were called at 7.28pm after he was found injured in the communal area of the block but he died at the scene. The cause of death was recorded as sharp force trauma to the neck. Two suspects, Ellie Ackhurst, 30 (30.07.1993) and Anthony Elliott, 42 (13.10.1981), both of no fixed address, were charged with murder on 5 March. Deeshon Dixon, 32 (12.03.92) of Princes Avenue, N13, was charged with murder on 28 March.
John Cavanagh, 44, was injured in an assault in Dawley Avenue, Uxbridge, Hillingdon, at around 8.10pm on 4 March. He was taken to hospital but later died. A postmortem examination confirmed the cause of death resulted from a head injury. Jimmy McDonagh, 18 (29.01.06), of Dawley Avenue, Hayes, was arrested in Derbyshire on 5 March and was charged with murder on 8 March. DCI Rebecca Woodsford said: “I am keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed anything out of the ordinary. Please get in touch with police or Crimestoppers.”
Shaquille Graham, 30, was shot in Catford Broadway, Catford, Lewisham, at around 4.30am on 10 March. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Tyler Roberts-Emmanuel, 18 (13.10.05), of no fixed address, was arrested on 22 March and charged with murder.
Bajram Luli, 27, was found stabbed in a car in Sudbury Heights Avenue, Sudbury/Greenford, within the borough of Ealing, at around 5.30pm on 11 March. He was taken to hospital but died a short time later. Sabin Manda, 31 (27.08.92), of no fixed address, was charged with murder on 22 March.
Alban Lambert, 78, was found injured after police were called to a disturbance at a property on Longridge Road, Earl’s Court/Kensington, Kensington and Chelsea, at around 3.06pm on 17 March. Officers gave CPR until paramedics arrived but he died at the scene. Aston Lambert, 32 (01.02.92), of Longridge Road, SW5, was charged with murder on 20 March.
Zhe Wang, 31, was found injured at a house in Manor Park, Hither Green, Lewisham, on 20 March. Police forced entry after receiving a report of a stabbing at around 11.15pm on 20 March. She died at the scene. Joshua Michals, 24 (08.09.99), a US national who it is believed was known to the victim, of Deals Gateway SE13, was charged with murder on 22 March.
Ursula Uhlemann, 80, was found injured at a residence in Fourth Avenue, Queen’s Park, City of Westminster, at around 4.15am on 20 March. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was recorded at postmortem as compression to the neck. Her partner Steven Clark, 50 (02.03.74), of Bravington Road W9, was charged with murder on 22 March.
Richard Braithwaite, 72, was stabbed in Cromwell Road, Wembley, Brent, at around 11.59pm on 21 March. He died at the scene. A woman in her 70s was also injured. Derek Brown, 72 (29.10.51), of Cromwell Road, Wembley, was charged with murder on 23 March.
Fergany Mvuezolo, 35, was hit by a car in Barking Road near the junction with Arragon Road in East Ham, Newham, at around 5.11am on 24 March. The emergency services responded but he died a short time later. A man was arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of murder at 3.50pm the same day. Trevelle Rowland, 33 (15.01.91), of Cornelia Street, N7, was charged with murder on 26 March. DCI Joanna Yorke said: “I am aware that a large number of people had been at an event in Barking Road overnight and many would have witnessed the incident. I am appealing for those people to come forward immediately. Your information could be vital to the investigation.”
Janayo Lucima, 21, was shot dead as he left a house in Comeragh Road, West Kensington, Hammersmith and Fulham, at around 10.13pm on 1 April. Police were called to reports of a disturbance at 10.17pm and Janayo died at the scene at 10.54pm. Three suspects were charged with murder from 8 April onwards: Khuedr Al Kurdi, 21, Muktar Said, 22, two boys aged 16 and 17. Police continue to appeal for witnesses. DCI Brian Howie said: “We know there was a group of males, on foot or on a bike, in the area at the time of the shooting – we need to trace these people and I would ask anyone who has information that could help us, and has yet to get in contact to please do so with urgency. Were you in the area of Comeragh Road, Barton Road and Palliser Road towards Barons Court Tube Station between 9.40pm and 10.30pm?” Janayo had served a prison sentence for perverting the course of justice after helping to cover up the murder of William Algar.
The body of Sarah Mayhew, 38, was found at Rowdown Fields in Croydon after police were contacted at around 9am on 2 April about the discovery of possible human bone by a dogwalker. Further body parts were recovered during searches of the park. The Metropolitan Police said they were treating the case as murder. On 6 April Gemma Saundercock, 48 (22.07.75), of Holmbury Grove, Croydon, and Steve Samson, 44 (10.05.1979), of Burnell Road, Sutton, were arrested. Sarah, who knew the suspects, was named by police as the victim on 8 April. The next day the suspects were charged with murder and prevention of a lawful burial. The Old Bailey heard Sarah was last seen in Sutton, south London, on 8 March. Prosecutors allege she was killed at a residential address that night and dismembered using power tools.
Kennedi Westcarr-Sabaroche, 25, was found unresponsive in her car in an alleyway off Whiston Road, Haggerston, Hackney, after police were called about concerns for her welfare at 6.42am on 6 April. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Gogoa Tape, 27 (11.06.96), of Marsworth House, E2, was arrested nearby on the same day and charged with murder.
Mark Barrs, 39, was stabbed outside The Old Hat pub in Uxbridge Road, West Ealing, at around 7.50pm on 6 April. Police were called to reports of a disturbance in the area between Uxbridge Road and Singapore Road. Mark, from Fulham, was was found critically injured and died at the scene. Police said the attack appeared to have arose from a minor dispute inside the pub which spilled outside. On 11 April three men were charged with murder Leon Woods, 42 (09.04.82) of Cherry Close, Ealing, Cleveland McEntee, 39 (27.06.84), of Henchman Street, Hammersmith, and Tron McEntee, 34 (05.02.90) of Jubilee Road, Perivale.
Okechukwu Iweha, 46, was found stabbed in Northumberland Park, Tottenham, Haringey, near Tottenham Hotspur football stadium, after police were called at around 5.51am on 7 April. He was pronounced dead at the scene and the cause of death was recorded at postmortem as a stab wound to the chest. Leandro Kaienga, 28 (11.04.96), of no fixed address, was charged with murder on 23 April.
Kamonnan Thiamphanit, 27, who was known to family and friends as Angela, was found dead at her home in Stanhope Place, Marble Arch, City of Westminster, when police officers forced entry to the address at around 8.30am on 8 April. She had suffered stab injuries and the cause of death was recorded at postmortem as sharp force trauma. Kammonan, who was born in Thailand and also had Chinese/Hong Kong nationality, had been living in the UK for around nine years. She first came to study at university and at the time of her death was working in London in property management. She was renting out the flat in Stanhope Place as an AirBnB property. Police were contacted with concerns about her welfare twice on the evening of 7 April, at 7.05pm and 9.34pm, and officers initially graded the missing persons enquiry as ‘medium risk’. The Metropolitan Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because of this previous contact. Police believe she was killed by someone known to her on 6 April. An inquest heard the suspect fled the country after the attack and detectives are seeking to gathering enough evidence to make an extradition request. Angela’s family said in a statement: “We are unspeakably hurt by the loss of our dearly loved one and are sincerely thankful for the relentless efforts of the British police in investigating this tragic event.”
Mark Carroll, 55, was found collapsed in St Martin’s Gardens, Camden, at around 1.35pm on 10 April. Police said it was initially thought he had suffered a cardiac arrest. In fact he had suffered a stab wound to his body and died in hospital later the same day. Suspect Rasheed Rahman, 19 (01.02.05) of Dunmow Close, Chadwell Heath, was arrested nearby and a knife was recovered. Rahman was charged with murder on 13 April.
Rijkaard Salu Siafa, 22, was stabbed in Fellmongers Yard, Croydon, at around 6pm on 12 April. He died at the scene and a postmortem found the cause of death was multiple stab wounds. Suspect David Walcott, 34 (18.08.89), of Turle Road, Norbury, was arrested on 19 April and charged with murder the following day. DCI Sarah Lee said: “I would like to thank those members of the public who rushed help Rijkaard in the immediate aftermath. If you saw events unfold but have yet to contact police, then I would ask you do so immediately.”
Petro Bebko, 33, was stabbed in the neck during a fight at a residence in South Birkbeck Road, Leytonstone, Waltham Forest, at around 11.15am on 18 April. Police and paramedics attended but Petro died at the scene. Another resident, Mykola Yakymets, 34 (15/12/1989), was arrested at the address and on 21 April was charged with murder.
A 23-year-old man was found stabbed in Flamstead Road, Dagenham, after police were called at around 1.30am on 20 April. He died at the scene. A second man was found with stab injuries in nearby Rothwell Garden but his injuries were not life threatening and he was arrested in connection with the investigation. The Met Police launched a murder investigation.
Two people were found dead after a fire at a house in Forest Road, Walthamstow, Waltham Forest, on 21 April. Police were called to the fire at 10.24pm. Detectives believe the fire was started deliberately and the Metropolitan Police launched a murder investigation on 23 April. Detective Chief Inspector Matt Webb, leading the investigation for the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “We believe that there may have been an incident outside the address in Forest Road before the fire started and I am very keen to hear from anyone who witnessed something or perhaps has doorbell or dashcam footage.”
See above.

The following cases are not included in the above list while we await further details:

Teddi Baker, 21, was found unconscious at a home in Stainsby Road, Limehouse, Tower Hamlets, on Thursday, 8 February. Police were called to the address by the ambulance service at 8.26am. Teddi was pronounced dead at the scene. Police await further tests to determine the cause of death. Detectives believe she was one of six people involved in a fight in Dod Street near to the alleyway that leads to Limehouse Cut canal the previous evening, between roughly 10pm and 12.30pm. A woman in her 20s was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the incident. DI Sufia Matin said: “We are urging anyone who has any information or who may have witnessed a fight in the Dod Street area of Limehouse/Poplar during the times stated, to contact us immediately.”

A 56-year-old man was found stabbed after police received reports of a disturbance at a residential address in St Johns Court, Queen’s Drive, Hackney, at 10.53pm on 26 February. He died at the scene at 11.41pm. A 42-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of murder.

A man in his 50s was found unresponsive after police were called to a report of an altercation at a residential address in Fernwood Avenue, Streatham, Lambeth, at 2.26pm on 5 April. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died the following day. A 38-year-old man was arrested and bailed pending further enquiries. DCI Laura Nelson said: “At this early stage, I must retain an open mind. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course, and this, along with other lines of enquiry will help to establish exactly what happened.”

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The death of Amanda Gretton: ‘We have many unanswered questions’

Police launched a murder investigation after the body of a 57-year-old woman was found in a disused garage, seven weeks after she was reported missing. Experts were unable to prove exactly how she died. Could she have been strangled? Or did she die after an accident? Her family told an…

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Unsolved murders in London: 2023

Ten homicides in London in the year 2023 remain unsolved. Can you help solve these crimes? Contact the police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 111 555.

Fernando Johnson, 23, was shot dead in in Rosebank Way, North Acton, Ealing, on 26 January 2023.

He was attacked shortly after he arrived home in a Mercedes car at around 2.15am. Fernando, an aspiring musician and former youth footballer, died at the scene.

A man was arrested on suspicion of murder and released on bail.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Denby said: “We are keen to hear who might have been in and around the area at the time of this incident. I urge you to check doorbell cameras and dash cam footage for anything you may have captured – it doesn’t matter if you think it is insignificant, we still want to receive it.”

He was greatly loved by family and friends and well known to the community he always had a smile on his face and greeted everyone with a big smile and hug. He was a loving family man. He wanted the world to hear his story through his music. He was passionate about achieving his ambitions. He was a talented footballer and played for QPR as a youngster.

He was very polite and brilliant with people of all ages. It’s a great loss to the family and community, we will make sure his memory lives on. His mother, father, grandmother and two elder brothers are devastated like all of us. He was the apple of their eye.’
Statement from family of Fernando Johnson

Tiffany Regis, 15, died in a fire at a block of flats in Tollgate Road, Beckton, Newham, at around 5.30pm on 6 April. A postmortem gave the cause of death as smoke inhalation. Five others at the address were injured.

Police said the fire was being treated as arson and arrested a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of murder.

DCI Joanna Yorke said: “I know that there were a number of young people and residents inside the address before the fire happened and our enquiries are ongoing to identify everyone who was there, not least of all to ensure that everyone is okay. We are still keen to hear from anyone who was present or has any information but has not yet spoken with police. Please get in touch.”

Alex Josephs, 29, was stabbed in Malyons Road, Ladywell, Lewisham, at around 1.59pm on 10 May.

Police and paramedics arrived to find him injured inside his grey BMW car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

DCI Kate Kieran said: “This was a shocking incident that took place on a busy street in the middle of the day. There were a large number of witnesses. If you have footage or information but haven’t yet spoken to police, please do get in touch.”

Four people were arrested but nobody has been charged.

Emiliano Hasanpapaj, 22, was stabbed during a fight involving a group of people in Berkshire Gardens, Palmer’s Green, Enfield, at around 11.50pm on 11 July.

He attended hospital with a stab wound but died a short time later.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and released on police bail. Nobody has been charged.

Claudyo Jauad Lafayette, 17, was stabbed during a fight in Granville Road, Kilburn/North Maida Vale, Brent, at around 11.22pm on 14 July.

He died at the scene and a postmortem gave the cause of death as a stab wound to the abdomen. A second 17-year-old boy was also injured

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers said: “A birthday party has ended in tragedy, and a family has been left mourning the loss of a young man who had his whole life ahead of him. Did you see or hear anything? Did you film the incident on your phone? Call us and let us know what happened.”

Ibrahim Pertek, 52, died in hospital on 1 August, two weeks after he was assaulted during a suspected robbery.

Police said Mr Pertek was attacked in an alley next to Wood Green Library on Wood Green High Road at around 1.10am on 16 July.

The emergency services were called at 2.50am and he was taken to hospital in critical condition with a serious head injury. A murder investigation was launched after his death.

Detective Inspector Andy Griffin said: “We are asking for anyone who was around the area of Wood Green High Road at this time to contact police, particularly any motorist who was passing while using a dash cam. We believe Mr Pertek was seen by people prior to him being injured, and we want those people to come forward and speak to us. We are releasing a photo of Mr Pertek and I would ask people to look at it carefully and contact police if you remember seeing him.”

Ronaldo Scott, 21, was stabbed in Morrison Road, Brixton, Lambeth, at around 12.08pm on 4 September.

He collapsed at a children’s playground and died at the scene, not far from his family home.

Ronaldo also used the name Skengroy and had been known as a member of the UK drill group 150 based in Angell Town. His family said he had recently started a construction course for a career in the building trade.

Witnesses claimed several men jumped out of a car and attacked him in the street. Police appealed for information about two suspects seen on CCTV running away from the scene.

Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn, who leads the investigation said: “I know that some people don’t want to speak to the police and I understand why. You may be frightened or have had problems or a bad experience with police in the past. Please know that you don’t have to speak directly to us – there are two ways you can provide us with information and footage that is important for our investigation without giving us your details. You can call Crimestoppers 100% anonymously. They will not pass your details onto us and they are not part of the police – they are completely independent. “You can submit video footage from mobile phones, CCTV camera’s, doorbells or dash-cams or information via this link for the investigation – Public Portal (mipp.police.uk).”

David Ackerley, 45, was found dead at his home in Cedar Court, Boston Manor Road, Brentford, Hounslow, after he was reported missing to police at 9.30am on 8 October.

A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death was a brain haemorrhage.

Police said he had been assaulted outside his home between 6.15pm and 6.30pm on 30 October and had received hospital treatment for an injury to his face.

Detectives are appealing for help tracing Jack Hill, aged around 22 and also known as Jimmy Brazil.

Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Grogan said: “David’s grieving family have many questions about what happened to him, and we are now trying to provide them with answers. Part of this important work is building a picture of David’s life, the people he associated with and incidents he was involved in. I’m sure many people will know and recognise David from the local area. He had his vulnerabilities and people will have seen him out and about. We still need the public’s help to know more about David, or about any incidents he might have been involved in. Please contact us without delay.”

Ilyas Habibi, 17, was stabbed near Sutton Railway Station in Sutton High Street, Sutton, at around 7.08pm on 5 December.

He was pronounced dead at the scene at 7.53pm. The cause of death was recorded at postmortem as a stab wound to the neck.

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Nolan said: “We know that Ilyas arrived at Sutton High Street by train. Minutes after he came out of the station he was involved in an altercation with the suspect who then fled the scene. Ilyas had suffered fatal wounds.”

Police said the suspect fled the country via London Gatwick Airport on 9 December. He has not yet been located and nobody has been charged with murder.

Ahmed Jama, 29, was stabbed near Gaymead in the Abbey Estate off Abbey Road, St John’s Wood, Camden, at around 7.32pm on 29 December.

He was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead at 9.55pm.

Police said on 25 January 2024 that Arlind Hashani, 20, was wanted in connection with the murder.

The following cases could be included but we await further information:

Darren Augustine, 44, was stabbed as he and another man attempted to burgle a house in Brentford, Hounslow on 26 April. He was found injured after police were called to reports of intruders at the address in Brentwick Gardens at 5.15am and was pronounced dead at the scene. A postmortem gave the cause of death as stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. Police arrested eight men and three women on suspicion of murder. Ten of those were later released with no further action but a 28-year-old man remains on police bail as the investigation continues. Detectives are trying to trace a man who was with Darren when they attempted to gain entry with the intent to carry out a burglary. DI Jason Fitzpatrick said: “CCTV analysis has confirmed this man was with Darren and attended the flat in Brentwick Gardens – we need to know who he is and I would urge anyone who knows his identity to come forward and speak to police.” Darren’s family said: “Darren was a family man, he leaves behind his family including two children, he did not have a bad bone in his body.”

Ann Murphy, 77, was found dead in a residence in in Harold Road, North Acton, Ealing, after police were alerted to concerns about her welfare at 6.39pm on 25 June. She was pronounced dead at the scene and a postmortem found the cause of death was a head injury. A 74-year-old man known to the victim was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and taken to hospital due to concerns for his health. DCI Neil John said: “We have made one arrest and are not looking for anyone else at this time in relation to this investigations. We would reiterate our appeal for anyone with any information to come forward and speak with officers.”

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Homicides in London 1990 to 2023

This post tries to set London homicide statistics in context using publicly available data going back to 1990.

The basic figures for homicides (including both murder and manslaughter) over this period show a peak in around 2003, which is similar to that seen in England and Wales as a whole.

Homicides then fall quickly until around 2011 before a surge in 2017, which may or may not be reversing following the Covid pandemic.

The chart shows figures for the Metropolitan Police and City of London (hover over the bars to see a breakdown). It does not include the small number of cases each year which might be recorded by the British Transport Police (e.g. murders at railway stations), as they are only available for the BTP as a whole (covering England, Wales and Scotland). Note also that there was a change from recording by calendar year to financial year in 1998.

London’s population over this period has grown from around seven million to nearly nine million. The breakdown by age shows (Stats via datacommons.org) that this growth hasn’t been consistent but doesn’t really help explain the rise, fall and rise again in the number of homicides.

Another good source of data from 2003 onwards is available via the London datastore.

The Metropolitan Police also has its own homicide dashboard for the same time period, including a breakdown by domestic abuse and ethnicity.

Finally here is a chart displaying the homicide rate for each police force. The Metropolitan Police is fourth highest at 14 (homicides per million population for the period between April 2020 and March 2023). Cleveland has the highest at 15.8 and Surrey has the lowest at 2.8.

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Notes: The first chart combines the Office for National Statistics historical crime data with the most recent ONS Homicide bulletin, which has a breakdown of homicides by police force area in the appendix tables.

Homicide in England and Wales 1898 to 2023

This post aims to provide some historical context to homicide statistics across England and Wales, based on publicly available data. It will hopefully be updated every year.

Firstly, when we talk about homicides we count not only murder but also manslaughter and infanticide. A significant proportion of cases are investigated as ‘murders’ but end up as manslaughter cases because of a lack of intent to cause serious harm, the suspect’s diminished responsibility due to mental illness at the time or some other legal defence such as loss of control.

Also we have to recognise that the recording of statistics varies in consistency over the years for many different reasons (for example, are we are better at detecting homicides now than 100 years ago?) Having said that, homicides are perhaps the crime statistic least open to manipulation by police or other agencies. It’s therefore worth having a look how homicide has changed over time as it might help us to work out why it varies and how we can go about driving the number of homicides down towards the ideal level of zero.

The available statistics for homicide in England and Wales from 1960 onwards show the number of recorded offences peaking in 2003 before decreasing to a low point in the 2014, followed by an another peak from 2016 onwards which appears to have been halted by the Covid pandemic and may now be in reverse. Note that there was a change from counting by calendar year to financial year in the late 1990s, presumably so it matched the annual budget period for police etc.

That graph reveals how the number of homicides for a specific year itself can also change over time, as the cases are fully investigated – with a small proportion being recategorised as “not a homicide” (Blue shows the initial count of homicides at the end of the year and red shows the number of offences “currently recorded as homicide). It also shows the effect of major events on statistics gathered by the government, as it includes terror attacks and other types of mass killing.

These are:

15 victims of Michael Ryan (1987)
58 people who suffocated in a lorry on the way to the UK (2000/01)
172 victims attributed to Harold Shipman (2002/03)
20 cockle pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay (2003/04)
52 victims of the London July 7 terror attacks (2005/06)
12 victims of Derrick Bird (2011/12)
96 victims of Hillbsorough (inquest verdict in 2016/17) and 4 in Westminster Bridge terror attack
31 victims of Manchester and London Bridge terror attacks and 11 victims of Shoreham air crash
39 human trafficking victims found dead in a lorry in Essex (2019/20)

The yellow line shows what the totals would have been without these incidents included.

If you examine the 100 years between 1898 and 1997 you can see how homicide remained pretty steady (apart from spikes in 1942 and 1945) until the 1960s, when it shot upwards.

The population of England and Wales has grown steadily over the last two hundred years (there was no census data for 1941).

If we look at homicides per million population since 1970, to try and take account of this growth, we can see that there is still a rise to around 2003 before a drop (and then recent rise). As one commenter below has suggested, it would be interesting to see whether changes in specific age groups are more relevant given that there is a high proportion of murder victims (and suspects) aged between 16 and 30. This also applies to crime in general and is known to academics as the age crime curve – as in the number of crimes committed peaks at between 16 and 20 before decreasing through adulthood. If you look at the statistics page on the 2022 murder map you can see this in the age range graph of homicide victims.

So what caused that rapid growth in homicides from the 1960s onwards? Was it population change, the state of the economy, the new ‘permissive society’, a breakdown of ‘family values’, or the effect of hard drugs like heroin and cocaine? Or a complicated combination of these factors (and others, such as the way the data is recorded)? And why did that trend reverse from 2003? Heavier sentences? Better policing? Improvements in emergency medicine?

It has been suggested that the downturn since 2003 is down to a sustained fall in the level of domestic violence, given that a significant proportion of murders are carried out by partners, former partners or family members. (For the year 2021/22 the number of victims in England and Wales who knew the suspect was 301 out of 696 (of which 78 were partner or ex-partner and 71 were family of some kind). Perhaps there now seems to be less tolerance of violence in society.

Another possible factor is the improvement in the level and quality of “security” in society. Although this may apply more to other crimes which decreased from the 1990s onwards, such as burglary and theft (think car immobilisers, alarms, CCTV, phone locks etc), you can see how improvements in technology also help to detect and deter murder. Police can now link suspects to the scene of the crime by mobile phone location data and CCTV images as well as by witness statements and forensic evidence (which has also improved).

This post was originally published in 2012 (as you can see from the comments below). It was updated in March 2022 with recent statistics and will be updated every year. Future updates will hopefully involve charts for age ranges, weapons, relationships etc for recent years.

Another post (yet to be completed) will look at the historical data for London only, although at the moment it is only readily available from 1960.

Statistics from the ONS, Homicide in England and Wales, and Population estimates.

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