Zimbabwean teen murdered in London

Headlines, News — By on July 3, 2011 8:32 pm

A senior detective has said the murder of a 16-year-old Zimbabwean boy who was stabbed in south-east London is among the worst he has investigated in 25 years. Yemurai Kanyangarara, from Belvedere, was stabbed in the neck in Welling on Friday evening.

Det Ch Insp Mark Dunne said the attack of “sheer brutality against a defenceless schoolboy” was “about as bad as it gets”. Yemurai was described by his head teacher as a “kind, gentle lad”. A post-mortem examination held at Farnborough Hospital, Orpington, gave the cause of death as a single stab wound to the neck.

Yemurai Kanyangarara, 16, who was stabbed to death in Welling, south-east London. Photograph: Met police/PA

Yemurai Kanyangarara, 16, who was stabbed to death in Welling, south-east London. Photograph: Met police/PA

Nigel Fisher, principal at St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School in Bexleyheath, said: “He was a very popular and very well-known student, hard working, and just finished his GCSEs. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.”

Mr Dunne said the teenager, who was brought to Britain from Zimbabwe when he was a toddler, stepped off a 96 bus with a friend and was attacked on Upper Wickham Lane, probably within a matter of seconds.

‘Catastrophic injuries’

Three boys who had got off another 96 at an earlier stop a few minutes before had walked on to the stop where Yemurai and his friend got off their bus.

“The three boys off the first bus approached them, and one has taken a weapon out of his clothing and stabbed the victim just once in the neck. This has caused catastrophic injuries, it seems he has died very quickly after that.”

Mr Dunne said police have no clear motive for the killing but suspect that the people who attacked Yemurai knew him. A man arrested arrested in connection with the murder has been released without further action. Police are appealing for more witnesses.

Yemurai was the eighth teenager murdered in London this year. BBC

 

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