Boy charged with murdering man who confronted teens

LONDON: A 14-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a father who was fatally stabbed after confronting a group of teenagers.

James Markham, 45, was attacked after reportedly trying to defend his daughter in Churchill Terrace, Chingford, east London, on Monday evening. Despite the efforts of the emergency services and members of the public, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Metropolitan Police said the boy was charged with murder on Friday morning and will appear at Stratford Youth Court later. He has also been charged with possession of a knife in a public place and breach of a criminal behaviour order (CBO). A second boy, also 14, who was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, has been released under investigation. A 16-year-old girl, who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, has also been released under investigation.

Markham was described as “a man with a good heart and good soul” by a family friend, while floral tributes have been laid at the scene in his memory. A family friend, who was tearful as she approached the scene of the stabbing and did not want to be named, said: “He was my friend, my neighbour. He was kind, a lovely man, a worker. He would wake up at 5am, come back 6pm, doing the daily routine with the kids, always with the kids.”

She added: “We are devastated for Jamie… He was kind, a good person, someone who will always be there for you.Anything that you need, he’ll always be there, f ixing anything that you need from the house. He was always working. He was a very good person, a man with a good heart, a good soul, he didn’t deserve that.” Bouquets of flowers and a card were laid in a parking area in Churchill Terrace on Thursday.