Student stabbed to death in London after row over conkers

Fifteen-year-old boy charged with murder of Steven Grisales, 21 The devastated parents of a student allegedly knifed to death after remonstrating with a group of teenagers who pelted him with conkers, have spoken of their inability to understand the senselessness of his killing. Steven Grisales, 21, from Enfield, who aspired to be an architect, was stabbed in the chest as he made his way to Silver Street railway station, Edmonton, north London, after running a shopping errand for his elderly grandmother. A 15-year-old boy appeared before Enfield magistrates on Wednesday, charged with his murder. Campaigners against gun and knife crime said the situation in the area, parts of which were scarred by the London riots, was among the most serious in the capital. Mr Grisales, who was born in the UK to Colombian parents, had been studying in Argentina but arrived home on 5 August to take up a scholarship at Westminster College. He was due to attend the college last Thursday, the day he died. He had been stabbed a day earlier as he walked along College Close, Edmonton at 7pm. He suffered a single stab wound to the heart. At the scene on Wednesday his mother, Jasmid, sobbed uncontrollably as his father, Andres, called him “a great boy” who was “very responsible” and “really family orientated”. He had been “so happy” at returning home and seeing his sisters, aged 11 and six, and brother, aged two. Determined to become an architect, he had been studying in Argentina for 18 months, but wanted to finish his studies in London, said his father, who was working in catering in Argentina. On the day of his death he went to his grandmother’s to help her with her shopping. “He did the shopping, ate his dinner and left. And then it happened,” he said. “There was no reason for it. He didn’t drink. He didn’t smoke. He had friends. He wasn’t into any gangs or any large groups. His friends and cousins were all professionals, had all finished university. That’s it,” he said as his wife sobbed into his shoulder. “It’s incredible that this could happen to him. It is devastating for all of us that he was stabbed, without a reason, without nothing. “We can’t explain it. This shouldn’t happen to anyone.” As wellwishers continued to leave flowers at the scene a week on, campaigners against knife crime spoke of a sickness devouring communities, which had been evident in the Enfield area. In April, Edmonton schoolboy Negus McClean, 15, was fatally stabbed in the chest, allegedly protecting his 13-year-old brother from hooded youths on mountain bikes reportedly trying to steal his BlackBerry phone as they left a takeaway in Westminster Road. In July two rival gangs carrying guns, machetes and hammers, had a confrontation in Hertford Road, where a 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the hand. And on 17 August, 14-year-old Leroy James died in Ponders End recreation ground, around one mile away, having been stabbed in the chest. The spate of attacks has prompted the Enfield Independent newspaper to launch a “Don’t Carry, Don’t Kill” campaign. Local MPs Nick de Bois, Enfield North, and David Burrowes, Enfield Southgate, areon Thursday due to meet the justice secretary, Ken Clarke, to press for an amendment to a parliamentary motion to impose a six-month mandatory sentence on any adult caught in possession of a knife or bladed weapon. They want the sentencing powers to extend to those aged under 18. The proposals have the backing of Hazel Williams, 51, a former teacher, who organised a peace march through Enfield and Edmonton, which attracted hundreds of people, after Negus McClean’s death. The Nelson Williams Foundation, which she set up four years ago, aims to work with young people and their families to get knifes off north London’s streets. On Thursday supporters were leafleting in the street where Mr Grisales was stabbed, offering counselling to residents, most of whom refused to speak. “People are frightened at what is happening,” said Williams. “My question is what was going through the mind of the others there when one of their friends was suddenly wielding a knife. These are the sorts of questions were are trying to ask the young people in this area. Yes, we have gangs, but no more than anywhere else. And this doesn’t seem to be gang related. “What we are trying to do is work with the young people and their families to make them truly understand the terrible consequences of carrying a knife. Most say they carry for protection. We have to get them to see how dangerous that can be”. To this end, her foundation and its volunteers are organising 16 weeks of workshops and seminars for local families. In addition to the boy charged, police said two males aged 15 and 19, and two females aged 15 and 16, had been arrested and released on bail. Victoria Atta-Saow, 56, outside whose house the stabbing occurred, said a neighbour cradled Mr Grisales in her arms as they waited 27 minutes for an ambulance. “The lady said he had told her the group had thrown conkers at him so he’d thrown one back,” she said. As they waited for an ambulance, a small boy eventually flagged down a passing police car, she said. A London Ambulance Service spokesman denied it took 27 minutes to get to the victim. He said reports of a stabbing were received at 7.02pm, and that two ambulance crews, two single responders in cars and an air ambulance doctor in a car were sent to the scene. He said: “According to our records our first member of staff reached the patient at 7.16pm, once the police had confirmed that the area was safe. The ambulance crew arrived one minute after that.” On Wednesday police officers were conducting house-to-house inquiries and street interviews exactly one week on from the stabbing. Detective Inspector Richard Beadle said the “unnecessary” conker attack “deteriorated quite quickly” and resulted in murder. “Quite a lot of people have seen what happened and we need to find out exactly who did what, who said what and exactly what that involvement was. “I desperately need those people that saw what happened to come and speak to us because Steven has lost his life totally unnecessarily. It is really, really upsetting for everybody that something so trivial can result in a young man losing his life.” He added: “It’s an indication of how sad, how horrific it is that so many people are not only carrying knives in London but are actually prepared to use them.” Witnesses are asked to call the incident room on 0208 721 4961 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Knife crime Crime London Caroline Davies guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 7, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.