Camden New Journal - News: Police move to allay knife fears

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Camden New Journal - by PAUL KEILTHY
Published: 27 September 2007

Police move to allay knife fears

Statement follows schoolboy knifings

POLICE have moved to quell fears of knife crime after two schoolboys were wounded on the borough’s streets on the same day that a man was found stabbed to death in Camden Town.
Camden’s senior policeman, Chief Superintendent Mark Heath, spoke out following the discovery of the body of Donald Fletcher, 51, near Camden High Street (see page 2) and two unconnected knifings of schoolboys by other youths on Friday afternoon.
One boy, a 17 year-old student at South Camden Community School, was found bleeding heavily and slumped against the wall of Eversholt Groceries in Eversholt Street, Camden Town, after an attack on the pavement at around 2pm.
He had been walking with three friends from the school at the time of the incident, according to witnesses in the grocery store. Shop worker Matthew Mona said the boy appeared to have been stabbed twice below the hips, adding: “This is the worst incident there has been here although there have been a lot of problems, especially last year.
“The shop was closed from 2 o’clock until 5.30pm while the police dealt with it.”
The sixth-former was cut on the buttock and arm and suffered a broken hip in the attack, but has since been released from hospital.
South Camden Community School head Rosemary Leeke yesterday wished him a speedy recovery and assured parents: “The safety of our pupils is paramount and we will continue to take all the normal steps to ensure all our students are safe while in our care.”
Later that evening, another 17-year-old was stabbed near Goodge Street Tube station by one of a group of youths described as 17 to 18 years old following an argument on the N29 bus in Tottenham Court Road.
He was treated in hospital for stab wounds, where his condition was described as stable.
Chief Supt Heath said on Tuesday that the police were working on five initiatives targeting knife crime among young people, adding: “The three recent stabbings are unconnected and isolated incidents and suspects have already been arrested and charged in relation to two of them.
“Safer Schools officers have given presentations to secondary school pupils at the start of this term warning of the dangers of violent crime and issuing crime prevention advice.
“Violence against the person in Camden is down by almost 4 per cent since last August and total crime is down by nearly 2 per cent in the same period. If you are caught in possession of a knife in Camden you will be arrested.”
A woman in her 30s has been charged with murder in connection with the death of Donald Fletcher.
A 16-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons appeared at Thames Youth Court on Monday charged with attempted murder and GBH in connection with the Eversholt Street incident.

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