Teenage killer who stabbed friend to death at party is jailed for 14 years

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A teenager killer who stabbed his former friend to death at a girl's 16th birthday party after a row over a tracksuit has beenlocked up for 14 years. 

Aaron Gaiete, 17, plunged a kitchen knife into the heart of Charlie Kutyauripo outside a sports centre in Woodford, then stabbed him in the arm as he tried to get to his feet. 

The two teens had been firm friends, but fell out after Gaiete borrowed a tracksuit from Charlie, 16, and refused to give it back. 

Judge Rebecca Poulet QC, sitting at the Old Bailey, today removed Gaiete's anonymity as a deterrent against other teenagers carrying knives. 

The jury at trial convicted Gaiete of murder, but in an unusual step asked for "leniency" in his sentencing. 

Sentencing him to detention at Her Majesty's pleasure with a minimum term of 14 years Judge Poulet said she would not ignore the jury's request and said it was a "merciful" punishment. 

"I will take into account there was a background between you two boys and Charlie knew you had a short temper and he was making provoking comments during the confrontation", said the judge. 

But she added: "It must be understood that taking a knife out in public whether for an offensive or defensive purpose is in itself a criminal offence.

"It is the experience of the courts that far from preventing an attack on the carrier of that knife, it frequently results in the causing of serious injury or in this case death and therefore the inevitable outcome of a very lengthy sentence for the individual who takes it out."

In a victim impact statement, Charlie's mother Matilda, an A&E nurse, said the family was "crushed, hurt, torn beyond description" after her son was killed by a boy she had previously welcomed into her home.

She said: "No mother or family deserve to suffer the way we have."

The grieving mother said Charlie had been brought up in a "decent Christian family and law abiding citizens" and raised to have "good values". 

Both boys had attended King Solomon High School in Ilford and become good friends, but they had fallen out badly by the time of the murder, on January 9 last year. 

"There is some evidence that suggests the two may have fallen out about something as trivial as a tracksuit the defendant had borrowed and was refusing to give back", said prosecutor Louis Mably. 

The court heard the teenagers had been talking about having a fight in the run-up to the stabbing, which happened at a neon-themed birthday party which was supervised by adults. 

Gaiete arrived at around 9.30pm and confronted Charlie outside the sports hall in Chingford Road, Woodford, pulling out the knife he had hidden in his jacket pocket. 

Charlie was rushed to hospital but died within an hour of the attack. 

Gaiete, from Norfolk Road, Ilford,  denied murder, claiming he had acted in self-defence.

Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after policeman is injured in north London

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a policeman was seriously injured in north London.

Emergency services raced to the scene on Balls Pond Road at 4.15pm on Wednesday. 

Scotland Yard said the police officer was injured when he tried to stop the man leaving the scene on a moped.

He was rushed to hospital where his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and was taken to a north London police station. 

Bodies of gardener, wife and child found in burnt

Staff reporter(wp/es):

A gardener and his wife and child were killed when a fire ripped through a cottage on a farm in Surrey. 

The victims of the blaze were today named after their bodies were reportedly found in a double bed following a fire that burned all night at the rural property near Reigate.

The fire was only discovered when colleagues went to check on a man living at the house who failed to turn up for work.

Firefighters, Surrey Police, the Surrey Fire Dogs and the National Police Air Service police helicopter were called to reports of a fire at Trumpets Hill Road yesterday morning “following concerns for the safety of occupants at the location”.

A spokesman for Surrey Police said: “Officers arrived at the location at around 11.10am. A property was found to have suffered serious fire damage and three people, including two adults and a child, were found deceased. Their next of kin has been informed.

“A joint investigation between Surrey Police and Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is under way into the cause of the fire.”

Fire brigade sources told the Standard the fire began in a 12m by 8m outbuilding of the farm which is attached to the main house, raising the possibility that it could have been started deliberately.

The source said: “The outhouse has all sorts of gardening equipment and materials in it. The fire started there and then spread to the main house.

“Obviously one line of inquiry will be that it was started deliberately but it is too early to say anything definitively at this stage.”

Worried colleagues had gone to check on the man when he failed to turn up for work, only to discover the property completely destroyed by flames.

It had apparently been burning all night without anyone realising what had happened.

A neighbour said the work colleague who discovered the blaze at the remote Little Santon Farm Cottage told emergency services a man, woman and child normally lived at the property.

When fire crews eventually got inside they made the discovery.

No attempt had been made to raise the alarm by the occupants and detectives are now trying to establish if there was any suspicious circumstances to their deaths.

The victims are understood to be the gardener for Little Santon Farm, his wife and child.

They were named locally as Tiago and Adriana Nunes and their son, also called Tiago.

Mrs Nunes’ brother Guilherme Alexandre Herrera Cruz told of his grief online.

Posting pictures of his dead relatives, he said: "My heart hurts too much! I expected too much live close and you were gone! May God comfort us! Without words!”

Friends offered their condolences and support. Cruzziani Vendetti wrote: “Your sister, brother-in-law and nephew, now rest in peace, all my support and strength to get you through with your family's tragic loss.”

The farm is owned by Adrian Smart, 81, a retired solicitor, and his wife Anne, 75, known by her middle name Sara.

Mr Smart, a businessman, is chairman and trustee at Gatton Park - a 600 acre park made famous by 18th Century English landscape designer Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. 

He is understood to have raised the alarm when Mr Nunes, who is believed to be Portuguese, failed to turn up for work.

Mrs Nunes is understood to be a cleaner in the village of Betchworth. 

One resident said the child who died was a little boy aged around seven years old and that his parents were in their 30s.

She said: “Mr and Mrs Smart live at Little Santon Farm. The gardener lives in the cottage on the grounds and that was the building that was on fire. 

“Betchworth is a small village, they were very well known and lovely people.

“I’m in shock.”

She added: “I was supposed to be picking Mrs Smart up and got to the farm at around 10.45am. Mrs Smart had just found out. “It must have happened quietly during the night.

“[The cottage] is far away from the farmhouse which is over a mound. Looking at the cottage I don’t think there were many houses that would have seen it.

“Adrian called the police, I was with Sara and the police arrived whilst I was there. 

“They [the family] have been there for a few years, maybe four or five.” 

Police in white forensic suits were carrying out their investigations at the scene today.

Jane Douglass, headteacher of North Downs Primary School in Leigh Village, where Tiago is understood to have attended, today told parents: “It is with huge sadness and regret that I write to inform you that we have received information from the police regarding a tragic incident, which we believe involves one of our Leigh pupils.

“There has been a house fire in Reigate in which two adults and a child have died.

“This is very likely to be a difficult time for us as a school and a community and we will all need to support each other, and particularly those most closely affected.”

Dozens of shisha pipes seized from east London café

Pic:The shisha pipes were seized from Byblos Gardens Shisha Lounge in Barking
Staff reporter(wp/es):

Dozens of so-called hubbly bubbly pipes were seized from an east London café after local residents tipped off the police.

Barking and Dagenham Council enforcement officers, alongside the Met Police, discovered customers smoking the pipes in an enclosed space during a raid at Byblos Gardens Shisha Lounge in Barking.

Four customers were given £50 fixed penalty notices as well as the manager, who was also given a £200 fine for allowing customers to smoke and not displaying ‘no smoking’ signs.

Councillor Laila Butt, cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said: “It’s been illegal to smoke or allow smoking in an enclosed premises since 2006 so it should come as no surprise to anyone caught smoking at the café.

“I can assure anyone else out there it will be no toil or trouble for us to seize more hubbly bubbly pipes to uphold the smoking ban as part of our drive to protect residents’ health.”

The raid took place on Friday, January 13, and 48 pipes were confiscated.

A council spokeswoman added: "As a result of this action, further investigation is ongoing which could result in legal action against the business owner and any other associate.

"Shisa pipes also pose a serious health risks to users including increasing the chances of chances of contracting TB and hepatitis.

"The average shisha-smoking session lasts an hour and research has shown that in this time you can inhale the same amount of smoke as from more than 100 cigarettes."

Murder investigation launched after body found in Milton Keynes

Crime reporter(wp/es):

 A murder investigation has been launched in Milton Keynes after a man’s body was discovered in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Police were called to an address on St Leger Drive, Great Linford, at 4.05am where the body was found.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said that formal identification had not yet taken place and a post mortem examination would be carried out to establish the cause of death.

Detective Chief Inspector Craig Kirby said: "We have launched a murder inquiry following the discovery of this deceased man.

"At this stage we believe this was an isolated incident, there is no danger to the wider public, and arrests have been made in connection with this incident.

"We have a number of scene watches in place in Milton Keynes whilst we continue to investigate."

Superintendent Yvette Hitch said: "I am aware that this will be very worrying and shocking for the local community in Great Linford.

"In light of this we are increasing patrols in the area to provide reassurance to the community, and you may see an increased police presence over the coming days."

Man fighting for life after knife attack

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A man was left fighting for life after he was stabbed in Hackney.

The victim, believed to be aged in his early 30s, was knifed in the early hours of Sunday.

Police raced to the scene in Kingsland High Road at about 5.30am.

Scotland Yard said officers gave first aid to the victim before the arrival of paramedics.

London’s Air Ambulance was also scrambled to the scene and the man was rushed to hospital.  

The surrounding roads were cordoned off as police scoured the area.

Detectives from Hackney CID were investigating.

Hackney Officers posted on Twitter: “#ResponseE G1N GD20N call male with life threatening stab wound treated by #policemedic & @Ldn_Ambulance. Road closures in place. N16.”

Rail operator urges RMT union to call off 24-hour strike

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Southern rail has urged union bosses to call off a planned 24-hour strike.

The beleaguered rail operator called on the RMT union to suspend a walkout out by guards scheduled for Monday. 

The strike is in protest over Southern’s changes to the role of conductors and could cause fresh misery for hundreds of thousands of passengers.

It comes as talks aimed at resolving a separate dispute with the Aslef union over driver-only trains were set to resume. 

Drivers called off three days of strikes planned for this week on Wednesday in exchange for further talks chaired by the TUC.

Southern said that despite the strike action on Monday, it will run over 70 per cent of its trains – 10 per cent more than what it has operated on previous strike days.

It said this followed the completion of its programme to put drivers in sole control of the operation of the train, including closing the doors, on nearly 80 per cent of routes, and the transfer of many conductors to the new on-board supervisor role.

Angie Doll, Southern's passenger services director, said: "Whilst, inevitably, there will be disruption on Monday, the good news is that due to the changes we've now fully rolled out, we're now able to run more services on more routes serving more passengers and ultimately we'll have fewer cancellations and delays.

"On Monday, some 200 extra trains will be running and several routes will have their first service on an RMT strike day.

"The RMT should now recognise that their industrial action is wholly futile. They should stop the strikes, get back round the table with us and move forward together with us, delivering a better railway for our passengers."

The RMT has been in dispute with Southern for several months, warning of safety issues because of the changes and also complained of being "excluded" from talks between Southern and Aslef over the drivers' dispute.

The RMT has a small number of driver members at Southern who will strike on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Southern said it plans to operate a normal full timetable from Tuesday.

Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT, said: "Instead of repeating the same old threats and empty rhetoric, Southern should be engaging RMT in the same way that they have engaged with the TUC and the Government in the drivers' dispute.

"That is the way forward and the only way that we can deal with the safety issues that have led to the latest phase of strike action on Monday."