Map shows lives lost to knife crime in London this year – as Sadiq Khan blasted for saying ‘it only happens on The Wire’
DOZENS of Londoners have lost their lives to knife crime so far this year – despite Mayor Sadiq Khan claiming “it only happens on The Wire”.
Our map shows the 24 victims of Khan’s lawless London after James Cleverly blasted him “useless”.
It comes as the Home Secretary accused the London Mayor of being in denial about knife crime in the capital.
He told our politics show Never Mind The Ballots: “Across the whole of the country knife crime has trended downwards.
“But in London it has increased by something in the region of 20 per cent.”
Mr Cleverly’s comments come after Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall challenged Mr Khan over “gangs running around with machetes” last week.
Instead of taking her seriously, Mr Khan told her she should “stop watching” American crime drama The Wire, insisting “we’re not living in Baltimore, USA, in the noughties.”
But his response sparked a backlash as it came just days before a 14-year-old was killed when a sword-wielding maniac allegedly went on a rampage in Hainault, London.
Young Daniel Anjorin was stabbed to death as he walked to school on Tuesday.
Four others were injured, including a female cop who almost lost a hand.
Mr Cleverly blasted the Mayor’s comments, citing the rise in knife crime across the capital.
He said: “Comments like that betray an unwillingness to be honest about the increase in knife crime in London.
Mr Cleverly added: “Hearing those comments in my mind reinforces that he is not focusing… on what he should be concentrating on.”
Kemi Badenoch told Sky News that tackling knife crime is a “very high priority” for the Government and also blasted Mr Khan’s comments.
She said: “This is his duty to resolve, and in my view he is failing. Sadiq Khan is failing.
“It’s one of the things that we have seen become totemic in terms of the campaign that’s taking place at the moment.”
Addressing his comment about The Wire, she added: “That to me indicates that he is not taking this issue seriously enough. He should have been talking about what he was doing, rather than laughing at the issue.”
Last year, the Met Police recorded a staggering 14,577 knife crimes, averaging nearly 40 incidents per day.
This surpasses the previous peak in 2019, a year marked by a surge in homicides predominantly linked to knife and gang violence.
London's tragic knife crime victims
- January 4 – Tia Simmonds, 32, Parbury Road, Lewisham
Ms Simmonds was the first victime of knife crime in London this year.
She was found dead at her home and her husband Shane Simmonds, was charged with murder and two counts of rape against a teenage girl.
- January 4 – Jonah Ho-Shue, 24, Albert Road, Crouch End
Mr Ho-Shue was stabbed close to Finsbury park and sadly died at the scene as paramedics scrambled to save him.
- January 8 – Anojan Gnaneswaran, 21, Strawberry Hill railway station, Twickenham
Mr Gnaneswaran was killed on a train platform before two men, 19 and 17, were arrested on suspicion of murder.
The black belt in Karate had been studying accounting and finance in university.
- January 9 – Carlton McCloud, 47, Old Kent Road, Southwark
Three men have been charged with the murder of Mr McCloud after he was found dead with knife wounds.
- January 10 – Chaudhary Mahmood, 45, Stratford Centre car park, Newham
Mr Mahmood was found dead dead in a car park with 27 stab wounds.
Vasile Gorghescu, 41, has been charged with his murder.
- January 16 – Tyreece Scott, 24, Grove Road, Hounslow
Mr Scott died at the scene while cops hunted his killers.
Ben Laing, 23, and Duarra Abdi, 19, were arrested and charged with his murder a week later.
- January 16 – Leila Young, 33, Penhill Road, Bexley
Ms Young was rushed to hospital with stab wounds and neck. She sadly died on arrival.
- January 25 – Tyler Donnelly, 19, Hanworth Park, Hounslow
Mr Donnelly’s body was found by joggers early in the morning after he didn’t arrive home the night before.
Three men have been charged with his murder.
- February 4 – Bledi Petraj, 37, St Elizabeth’s Drive, Southgate, Enfield
Mr Petraj was found with stab wounds but sadly died in hospital.
Kozma Papa, 21, of Yate near Bristol, was charged with his murder.
- February 17 – Nathan Bawuah, 17, Hackney Road, Hackney
Mr Bawuah was killed on Hackney Road. A boy, 17, has now been charged with his murder.
- February 26 – Robert Weston, 37, Hamilton Crescent, South Harrow
It’s though Mr Weston was attacked inside a home before being killed on Hamilton Cresent.
Jaden Sherriff, 19, was charged with his murder.
- February 26 – Unidentified man, 56, St Johns Court, Queen’s Drive, Hackney
A 56-year-old unidentified man was found dead at a property in St Johns Court.
A 42-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the incident.
- March 1 – George Eric Rogers, 66, Lockhart Close, Enfield
Mr Rogers was sound dead with stab founds in the communal area of a housing etsate.
- March 11 – Bajram Luli, 27, Sudbury Heights Avenue, Greenford
Mr Luli was found with stab wounds in a vehicle before dying in hospital.
- March 20 – Zhe Wang, 31, Manor Park, Hither Green, Lewisham
Ms Wang was dfound with stab wounds inside a home. She died at the scene shortly after.
Joshua Michals was later charged with her murder.
- March 21 – Richard Braithwaite, 72, Cromwell Road, Wembley, Brent
Mr Braithwaite, the uncle of BBC Repair Shop’s Jay Blades was allegedly stabbed to death by a neighbour on a quiet residential street following a long-running dispute over a shared alleyway.
Mr Blades’ aunt, 71, was also injured in the attack.
Derek Brown, 72, was charged with murder; section 18 GBH with intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
- April 6 – Mark Barrs, 39, The Old Hat pub in Uxbridge Road, West Ealing
Mr Barrs died at the pub despite the best efforts of paramedics.
Three men have been charged with his murder.
- April 7 – Okechukwu Iweha, 46, Northumberland Park, Tottenham
Mr Iweha was stabbed to death outside the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
- April 8 – Kamonnan Thiamphanit, 27, Stanhope Place, Marble Arch
Ms Thiamphanit was found dead by cops at home after reports of screams coming from the building.
Her murderer has not yet been caught.
- April 10 – Mark Carroll, 55, St Martin’s Gardens, Camden
A 19-year-old man has been charged with the killing of Mr Carroll.
- April 12 – Rijkaard Salu Siafa, 22, Fellmongers Yard, Croydon
Mr Siafa was found injured in Croydon but sadly died at the scene.
A 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder.
- April 18 – Petro Bebko, 33, South Birkbeck Road, Leytonstone
Mr Bebko was found dead by cops with stab wounds before Mykola Yakymets, 34, was charged with his murder.
- April 20 – Haseeb Bhatti, 23, Flamstead Road, Dagenham
Mr Bhatti was found with fatal stab wounds and Frankie Burletson, 24, was charged with his murder.
- April 30 – Daniel Anjorin, 14, Hainault, Redbridge
Daniel was killed this week in a horror sword attack outside Hainault station in an incident which has rocked the country.