Three arrested after fatal Knightsbridge stabbing
Blue Stevens, 24, died at the scene near Hyde Park, last Wednesday in what police believe could have been a targeted attack.
Three men in their 20s have been arrested, the Metropolitan Police said.
Two were arrested at an address in Hounslow on Saturday, the force added.
One man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. He remains in police custody.
Another man was arrested on suspicion of murder. He has been bailed pending further inquiries.
The third man was arrested on Monday on suspicion of assisting an offender. He remains in police custody.
Officers, ambulance and air ambulance services responded to reports of a stabbing in Seville Street, near Hyde Park, at around 9.30pm on Wednesday where Stevens was found with stab wounds and died at the scene.
Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said officers 'retain an open mind around motive', but one line of inquiry is now that this may have been a 'targeted attack'.
Following their arrests, Met officers obtained a warrant to search two properties in Chiswick where 'significant evidence' was recovered, the Met Police said.
Detective Chief Superintendent Jessah, who leads policing in Central West London, said: 'These arrests mark a significant milestone in this complex and unfolding murder investigation.
'We continue to progress at pace. While we retain an open mind around motive, one line of inquiry is now that this may have been a targeted attack.
'Increased police patrols remain active in and around the Knightsbridge area. Please do speak with an officer if you have any questions or concerns.'
The incident happened near luxury hotel The Park Tower Knightsbridge but did not involve any guests or staff, according to a Marriott spokesperson.
Mr Stevens' next of kin continue to be supported by specialist officers.
People are urged to call police on 0208 721 4961 referencing CAD 8521/09JUL or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 with any information.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
11 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Dismay after statue of Mary Ann McCracken damaged
Dismay has been expressed after a statue of social activist and campaigner Mary Ann McCracken was damaged. A panel on the base of the statue in the grounds of Belfast City Council was discovered to have been removed on Friday morning, however, it is not known when the damage was caused. Advertisement A Belfast City Council spokesperson said they are aware of the damage and have reported it to police. Damage to part of a base of a statue of Mary Ann McCracken at Belfast City Hall is being investigated (Rebecca Black/PA) 'This will be looked into and replaced as soon as possible,' they said. The statue was unveiled on International Women's Day in March 2024 to recognise Ms McCracken's contribution to the city. Born in the Northern Ireland capital in 1770, Ms McCracken was part of the revival of the Irish language and a supporter of the United Irishmen movement. Advertisement She also worked to help those in poverty, particularly women and children, and campaigned against slavery. Sinn Féin councillor Ronan McLaughlin described the damage to the statue as 'disgraceful', and said it is understood the section removed was written in Irish. 'Even more concerning is that the damage appears to have been aimed specifically at the section inscribed as Gaeilge,' he said. 'This statue stands proudly at City Hall in memory of a remarkable anti-slavery campaigner and Irish republican. Advertisement 'I have spoken with council officials and called for a full investigation into the damage. I have also asked that the matter be referred to the PSNI. 'Those responsible must be held accountable for their actions to ensure this intolerant behaviour is not repeated. People taking photos during the unveiling of the statue in March 2024 (Liam McBurney/PA) 'Sinn Fein is calling for repairs to be carried out as quickly as possible so the statue can continue to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.' Belfast SDLP councillor Gary McKeown also condemned the damage. Advertisement 'The vandalism of the Mary Ann McCracken statue is disgusting and will appall people right across Belfast and beyond,' he said. 'It's really important that this is fully investigated and I have spoken to the council to ask that the signage is fixed as soon as possible. 'Belfast has an embarrassingly low number of statues dedicated to women, so the unveiling of this one in the grounds of City Hall last year was particularly welcome and I was delighted to be in attendance. 'This makes it all the more shocking that it appears that someone has attacked it. It's also notable that it was an Irish language inspection on the statue that was targeted, showing even more intolerance. Advertisement 'Mary Ann was an inspirational figure whose contribution to our city still resonates to this day, particularly around her work as a social reformer and opponent of slavery. The principles she stood for remain relevant two centuries later.' Alliance councillor Michael Long said he was disgusted by the damage to the statue. 'Mary Ann McCracken represents everything that is good about the shared history of our city. I was delighted when my proposal for the statue was backed by all parties four years ago, as she speaks to the ideals we all should live up to,' he said. 'Statues such as those of Mary Ann showcase the new, diverse Belfast by looking back to those who took stands and laid the foundations for the freedoms we enjoy today. It makes me despair how anyone could damage a memorial dedicated to someone held in such high regard by so many people. 'I appeal to anyone who has information on this incident to contact police with it immediately.' A PSNI spokesperson said: 'Police received a report at around 12.55pm on Friday, July 18 of suspected criminal damage to a statue in the Donegall Square North area of Belfast. 'Inquiries are ongoing and anyone with any information is asked to contact police on the 101 number, quoting reference 687 of 18/07/25.'
BreakingNews.ie
11 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Issue of intoxication "all over" case of 24-year-old man who fatally stabbed his sister's partner
The issue of intoxication is "all over" the case of a 24-year-old man who fatally stabbed his sister's partner with a kitchen knife, with the consumption of three bottles of "firewater" having an effect on everyone that night, lawyers for the accused have told a murder trial jury. The jury panel of eight men and four women, having so far spent two hours and 20 minutes considering their verdict, have ceased their deliberations for the weekend. Advertisement At 4pm today, presiding judge Mr Justice David Keane told the jurors he would release them for the weekend and directed them to return on Monday morning to continue their deliberations. Moldovan national Valeriu Melnic (24), with an address at Calliaghstown Lower, Rathcoole, Co Dublin has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Ion Daghi (39) at The Close, Sallins Park, Sallins in Co Kildare on May 12th, 2024. A pathologist has told the jury that Mr Daghi died from a single stab wound to the chest, which measured 13cm in depth, and death would have been very rapid. Mr Melnic told gardaí in his interviews that he couldn't remember stabbing his sister's partner with a kitchen knife as he was so drunk but later said that "all the evidence pointed" to him being "the only one responsible". Advertisement Witness Alexandru Beccieu gave evidence that the accused was squatting down trying to protect his head earlier in the night while Mr Daghi held the leg of a chair and told him "stop or I'll beat you one". In his closing address on Thursday, Carl Hanahoe SC, prosecuting, told the jury that when they applied their common sense to the case it was quite clear that Mr Daghi at all times was trying to calm the accused man down but Mr Melnic was impervious to this; "he wasn't to be quietened". Mr Hanahoe said Mr Daghi had entered the kitchen when a struggle pursued between the accused and his sister. "It wasn't the entry of a bull or a bear, it was a man entering saying 'calm down, calm down'". Counsel said the accused had responded with "I will kill you", which the prosecutor said was the "clearest statement of intent" that the jury are likely to encounter. Advertisement The lawyer said when the jurors examined each of the issues in the case and stepped back from the fog, they could be satisfied that the defences of provocation and intoxication were not open to Mr Melnic and the appropriate verdict was guilty of murder. In his closing speech, Brendan Grehan SC, defending, told the jurors that the blade of the knife was 20cm long and the injury to the chest area was "much much shorter" and yet Mr Daghi had died. He suggested that his client should be found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. Referring to the words 'I will kill you" which were uttered by the accused, Mr Grehan told the jurors if everybody who said these words in a fight were guilty of murder then the State wouldn't be able to build prisons fast enough. "People say things not meaning them". Intoxication, he said, was "all over this case" and the consumption of three bottles of "firewater" had an effect on everyone that night. Mr Grehan said whiskey can have a remarkable transformation on peoples moods and how they behave. Advertisement Having been arrested on suspicion of assault causing harm to Mr Daghi in the early hours of May 12th, Mr Melnic was deemed unfit for interview and was not questioned until 15 hours later. He told interviewing officers at Naas Garda Station that he and the deceased had been drunk and at some point an argument started. "A lot of drink was taken, my memory is very hazy," added the accused. Mr Grehan asked the jurors to look at whether the accused was acting under provocation and whether something had been done to him which caused him for a very short period of time to totally lose it in terms of self control. He said all the indicators were there that Mr Melnic was totally out of control that night. Counsel said evidence had been given that the accused was down on the ground with his hands over his head and Mr Daghi stood over him with the remains of a chair, which had been smashed into pieces Advertisement There was any doubt at all, the barrister said, but that a provocative act had occurred to the accused, who was badly beaten and had reacted to that. He said his client had reacted badly in hot blood and picked up a knife in the heat of the moment, where passions did not have time to cool. "Provocation is a reaction to something that causes you to boil over and boil over he did and cause the death of the deceased". Curiously, the lawyer said Mr Melnic did not recall being hit over the head with the leg of a chair and the only thing he could remember was the deceased having his hands around his neck trying to strangle him. He said nine hours after the accused's arrest, scrape marks or finger marks were found on Mr Melnic's neck. "The accused did get assaulted and assaulted badly, the rights or wrongs of how that started is irrelevant". Mr Justice Keane spent Friday explaining the law and summarising the evidence in the case to the 12 jurors following the trial. The judge told the jury panel that they must be unanimous in their verdict. Mr Justice Keane said they could return two verdicts in relation to the murder charge against Mr Melnic, namely; guilty of murder or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. In his charge to the jury, the judge said to consider the defence of provocation they must first be satisfied in killing Mr Daghi that the accused had intended to kill him or cause him serious injury. Ireland Man given suspended sentence for causing €60k dama... Read More He said provocation reduces the crime of murder to manslaughter and for the defence to arise it must be a complete and sudden loss of self control. The judge said it must go beyond an action or insult that hurts a man's pride and that an ordinary man would be unable to exercise self restraint in the same circumstances as this case. Referring to the law of intoxication, the judge said it is not a complete defence to murder and is there if the accused's mind was in such a state from the effects of alcohol that he had not intended to kill or cause serious injury. He told the jurors if they had a doubt about that, then the verdict should be not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
Telegraph
11 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Four university students killed in 94mph car crash after drunk driver lost control
Four students died when a car crashed into a building after its drunken driver lost control at 'grossly excessive speed'. Makyle Bayley, 22, Eva Darold-Tchikaya, 21, Anthony Hibbert, 24, and Daljang Wol, 22, died at the scene of the crash in Magdalen Street, Colchester, shortly before 4.40am on Feb 1. All four were students at the University of Essex and were born in London. Toxicology results showed that Mr Bayley, who was driving the Ford Focus, had a blood alcohol level of about 2.5 times the drink drive limit, Essex Coroner's Court heard on Friday. Analysis of footage from a CCTV camera 170 metres away from where the car crashed showed it was travelling at about 94mph in a 30mph zone. Lincoln Brookes, Essex's senior coroner, said the medical cause of death for Mr Bayley and Miss Darold-Tchikaya was severe traumatic head injuries, and for Mr Wol and Mr Hibbert it was multiple injuries. Mr Brookes concluded all four died as a result of a road traffic collision. He said that Mr Bayley 'had lost control of his vehicle due to grossly excessive speed, approximately 94mph in a 30mph zone, and alcohol intoxication '. Mr Brookes said they were students at the University of Essex and three of them were promising basketball players, 'all of them with a lot of potential and dreams for the future'. They met up for an 'ordinary night out as students', then all four got in a black Ford Focus ST. He said: 'I'm quite satisfied that three of them were under the influence of alcohol, Makyle Bayley over 2.5 times the limit for drink driving in this country, and for what it's worth, his two male friends were also in drink but of course they weren't driving. I note that Eva it seems had not been drinking at all.' The vehicle's off-side wheel hit a small island and it went across the opposite carriageway, over the footpath, hitting steps outside a property, which sent the car turning and collided roof-first on its side into a building, ending up either wholly or partially inside the building, Mr Brookes said. He said: 'There was no possibility of these individuals ever being saved.' Family tributes were read to the court by the coroner. Mr Bayley was described as a 'truly remarkable young man whose light and energy touched all who knew him'. Mr Wol's family said he was 'always encouraging those around him to strive for the best', and added: 'We wish to convey to the inquest that Daljang was a valued member of not just his family but his community.' Mr Hibbert's family said: 'It's difficult to summarise 24 years of memories, love, joy and happiness in one sitting, but what we can take away from today is that TJ has played an important role in our lives. He knew how to live life to the fullest.' And Ms Darold-Tchikaya's family described her as a 'calm and kind soul'. They said: 'There are no words to describe our despair and pain, we will miss our beautiful daughter until the end of time.'
