City businessman beaten

crime reporter(wp/es):

A City businessman was battered to death by a gang of teenagers on BMXs after a “trivial” row in a takeaway as he walked home from a drinks party, witnesses said today.

Detectives were today hunting the group of at least four youths who followed the 31-year-old victim for around 100 yards after he left the fast-food outlet before assaulting him, reportedly with a heavy metal chain.

He was found lying in a pool of blood on a footbridge over a railway line opposite All Saints DLR station in Poplar, east London, by a passing cyclist who performed CPR in an attempt to save his life.

Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene at 12.20am yesterday. His uneaten chicken meal was in a bag by his side.

The Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command have launched a murder investigation and are appealing for witnesses.

A worker at Perfect Friend Chicken in East India Dock Road told the Standard the man, who was smartly dressed in a suit and tie, had become involved in a row with a teenager in a grey tracksuit while they waited for their food.

He said: “I don’t know what the argument was about but there was no pushing or shoving, no one threw a punch. They were swearing at each other but it was all over in about ten seconds.

“The boy, he was 16 or 17, went and told his friends outside who were on BMX bikes. 

“One of them who was older came in and put his arm around the man in the suit and said ‘you shouldn’t have spoken to him like that.’

“The guy held up his arms as if to say I’m sorry and that was that. There didn’t seem to be any animosity.

“They both took their food outside and that was it. Ten minutes later we saw all the police and ambulance turn up.

“The police came in later and asked to see the CCTV and they said they think he was killed over what happened in the shop.

“I can’t believe it. It’s shocking. It was just a silly exchange of words. You get it sometimes but it’s unbelievable it can end like this and life can be so cheap.

“The guy was clearly a businessman as he was wearing a very sharp grey suit. He was in a good mood. He said he’d been at a drinks party after work and was going home.”

Another shopkeeper said went to the scene after seeing the emergency services.

He said: “There was cyclist with a beard who had blood over his face from him trying to resuscitate the man by giving him mouth to mouth.

“I was told he had been badly beaten and there was huge wound to the back of his head.”

A post mortem examination is expected to take place today.

A Met police spokesman said: “At this early stage, it is believed the victim was involved in an altercation with a group of males inside Perfect Fried Chicken in East India Dock Road.

“The victim was then followed down the street and attacked. There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.”

anyone with any information should call the incident room on 020 8345 3985 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.