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WALTHAMSTOW:Teen stabbed to death

1:19pm Sunday 24th August 2008 in


THE long-awaited Olympics handover celebration has been cancelled, after the body of a murdered 18-year-old was found close to Walthamstow Central bus station.

The teenager, who has yet to be formally identified, was found lying wounded by police in a grassy area near Selborne Road during a routine patrol at about 1.40am today.

He was later pronounced dead in hospital.

Two or three men were seen running away from the scene shortly after the body was found.

Two men, aged 17 and 20, have been arrested in connection with the incident and are now in custody.

Floral tributes to the murdered teenager, referred to as “CJ”, have already been left at the scene.

The celebration of the handing over of the Olympic torch, which was due to take place in the town square today has now been cancelled.

The Global Voices event was to feature music from acts including the London Gospel Community Choir.

The new big screen in the town square was going to be used to link up with other choirs across the country.

Comments(11)

Redfox says...
1:29pm Sun 24 Aug 08

So then, for a much promoted HIST Borough of the 2012 games - the screening of the handover is abandoned because of yet another murder!
That will certainly echo all around the World and tell people - don't come to Waltham Forest you will not be safe - even in the Town Square where the incident took place(police cordoned area).
Was it covered by the council's CCTV system - NO. The nearest camera, adjacent to Number 241 High Street cannot see the Town Square because of the trees!!!
The Borough is a shambles, the council a shambles and it will only get worse. Even the alcohol restricted zone hasn't even been debated in cabinet yet & still the local drunks continue to despoil the area.

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turpin says...
3:49pm Sun 24 Aug 08

While the tragic waste of the life of the young man who was murdered on Sunday cannot be diminished or ignored, the response to the event by the local Council was woeful.

The whole world’s eyes were on London and the message the Council sent to that global audience and to the 225,000 residents of their own Olympic Borough was one of defeat.

With real effort both they and the Police could have cleared the crime scene sufficiently to ensure the much promoted event still went ahead and so enable all concerned to demonstrate the will and determination to deliver a positive message of cohesion and triumph over adversity.

Indeed, the Council handled the whole affair so ineptly their own publicity people didn’t even update the Borough’s own web site with the news the event was cancelled.

Whoever took leadership of this decision made a serious error of judgement which may have much more long term and damaging effects than they had the vision to anticipate.

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Leece says...
4:11pm Sun 24 Aug 08

I was looking forward to seeing the London Community Gospel Choir and Global voices positive messages. I checked the LBWF website before I left home and there was no mention of the event being cancelled.

Money needs to be spent on youth centres and facilities for young people to keep them occupied and to focus their energy on other positive pursuits.

The Stow should be turned into a multi age social venue, bowling facility, indoor adventure playground, nightclub with different nights and times for all ages and maybe a bingo, dance hall for older residents. It is the ideal place, central to the borough. There is nothing left in Waltham Forest for people to do.

First the Wheelwrights, then Charlie Chans, The Stow and end of this week The Prince of Wales, all expected to become more housing.

The council appear to be working for themselves not for the residents of Waltham Forest.

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bwiggins says...
4:36pm Sun 24 Aug 08

The first comment is quite stunning.

I dont think CCTV would have stopped the murder-The footage is probably on youtube anyway.. The point is that two men are in police custody.

And what on earth has an alcohol restriction zone got to do with the olympic handover or this stabbing?

Im not a criminal expert but I am guessing even if these people were drunk, they would not bin (or recycle) their cans of special brew before stabbing each other.

Does this person live in the real world or just worship the Daily Mail like the Bible?

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Walthamster says...
8:28pm Sun 24 Aug 08

The council's feeble response sends a message to the rest of the world that we are easily defeated. I would have jumped at the chance to praise Waltham Forest council if they had shown some courage and dignity instead of letting us all down once again.
I don't want to say more because the real tragedy is that we seem lost for a way to stop kids killing each other.

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Robert19 says...
12:25am Mon 25 Aug 08

Most comments seem to be more interested in knocking the Council rather than the main subject which is yet another murder of a young man. This is the tragedy not the cancellation of a concert, unfortunate as that is. The Council does not investigate murders, the police do. This is a crime scene and is handed back by the police as and when they have finished their investigations. I turned up as I wanted to see Katherine Tickell. I understand the need to cancel the show. If it had gone ahead probably the same people would have commented on the insensitivity of the Council!!

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TomW says...
11:11am Mon 25 Aug 08

Robert19 is right. I was one of the people performing at this event and I am sure both the Council and performers would have liked to carry on in order to make a statement about knife crime as well as the Olympics. But this was impossible since the stage area was a 'scene of crime'. The Police priority has to be to investigate this murder not to put on a little show.

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Rebecca-leyton says...
12:26pm Mon 25 Aug 08

As CJ's sister in law I would like to post a response to one of the comments on this page.
I cannot believe somebody would suggest that the council should have just cleared the crime scene and continued with Olympic hand over.
Im sure that he/she wouldn't want that to have been the caes if it was one of their family members who had been MURDERED.
People need to see and recognise how we REALLY live in london!
Its not about sporting events its about the pure evil that lives on our streets and in our neighbourhood.
CJ's life can not and will NOT be swept under the carpet and neither should the crime scene where he died ALONE in the RAIN.
We need as much evidence as possible to put these evil twisted young men in to jail - where they can ROT and pay for taking our CJ away from us!!


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G.P says...
2:19pm Mon 25 Aug 08

As a former resident of LBWF of 35 years and a mother of a son who in his youth has faced a barrel of a gun and lived to tell his story, I feel that some of the comments made regarding the disappointment to see the games insensitive. Equally I agree with the comments made that the council made the wrong decision in calling the event off. "CJ" as he is endearingly referred to deserve to have had a one minutes silence in rememberence of all our young people's killed before entering into a sombre olympic mood. What better way to have highlight the tragic loss of a young life that our city have seen as a common trend then against the olympic back drop. Police should have executed their crime scene investigation in time for the council organised olympic handover!

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DDB Highams Park says...
4:58pm Mon 25 Aug 08

My deepest condolonces go out to the family of the murdered teenager, however all this talk of funding new sporting and social facilities, the softly softly approach to teenagers and children and hippy style mumbo jumbo of bringing up children as "adults" is simply not working. Teenagers and children should not be roaming street in the early hours of the morning. Parents need to take full responsibility for their children and not just allow them to run riot. I don't care what anyone says about the pressures of gang culture, any self repecting member of the community knows that killing someone is wrong. It all comes down to once again the parents not controlling what their children are exposed to, computor games, violent lyrics in music and television. PARENTS BE PARENTS AND TAKE CONTROL. The problem is in this day and age of human rights etc the children know they are untouchable if confromted by the police, teachers even members of the public. this needs to change because until it does the teenagers and children of this country own the streets.

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ha55 says...
5:50pm Mon 25 Aug 08

OK let's look at what's going on. Youngsters join gangs for 3 main reasons. 1. Boredom. 2. The easy money from drug dealing, so it looks like (and is for some) a path to wealth. 3. The 'family' support from older gang members. Once in, almost impossible to leave. So we have to prevent them joining when young (11-12 year olds). While the victims are sometimes gang members and sometimes totally innocent, they invariably live on the same streets and estates. Clearing the streets in the evening might make those of us who are in little danger feel better but it just throws the problem back onto those estates and doesn't make the potential victims any safer. If we are serious about this issue we all need to take responsibility. 1. Only vote for politicians who will spend on proper facilities for young people AND things that families can do together cheaply in the evenings (there isn't even a cinema here, youth centres have been cut and sports facilities are expensive - is there ANYTHING in Waltham Forest that families can all go out to together? All kids have is the chicken shops... the sheesha cafes seemed to be offering safe alcohol-free hangouts but the anti-smoking laws put paid to them). 2. Don't do drugs: anyone who bemoans gang culture and buys weed from a dealer is a hypocrite. 3. Be positive with young people: get involved with them. Neighbours, nephews, your children's friends... keep hold of relationships with children through their teenage years and be that strong supportive adult beyond their parent that they need, especially where parenting is weak. With our gang violence being about postcode and territory, the last thing we want is to reinforce that mentality with curfews and controls that will make our most disaffected young even more so. They need to feel that they belong in our society, in their families, in a community that values them, so that the 'family' of the gang offers nothing of interest. That will happen if we all get involved with the young and include them. It's not only up to parents.

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Friends and relatives laying tributes at the murder scene Police officers at the scene of the attack A police officer stands guard at the murder scene Floral tributes on the gates to Walthamstow Town Square

Friends and relatives laying tributes at the murder scene.Pictures by Ken Mears

Police officers at the scene of the attack

A police officer stands guard at the murder scene

Floral tributes on the gates to Walthamstow Town Square



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