Boy, 16, charged with murder after fatal stabbing of 15-year-old

6 September 2019, 12:19

A teenage boy has been arrested after Michael Irving, 15, was stabbed to death on Tuesday
A teenage boy has been arrested after Michael Irving, 15, was stabbed to death on Tuesday. Picture: PA

By Kate Buck

A 16-year-old has been charged with murder after a teenage boy was knifed to death.

Michael Irving, 15, was found with stab wounds after police were called to reports of a fight in Byford Close, West Ham, at 6.45pm on Tuesday.

Paramedics battled to save Michael for an hour but the teenager, from Woolwich, could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.

He is the 94th person to be murdered in London this year.

The suspect, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with murder yesterday.

A post-mortem examination found Michael's cause of death was consistent with knife wounds.

Officers were called to the street in Byford Close, East Ham
Officers were called to the street in Byford Close, East Ham. Picture: PA

His next of kin have been informed and Specialist Crime Command homicide detectives are continuing to investigate.

DCI Mark Wrigley, who is leading the investigation, has appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

He said: "Despite the arrest and charge, we continue to appeal for information to help complete the sequence of events that led to Michael's death.

"I am asking anyone who has information about this incident to come forward and speak with my officers.

"We can be contacted directly at our incident room or anonymously through Crimestoppers who are an independent organisation completely separate from police.

"It doesn't matter how you tell us what you know, so long as you tell us."

The suspect is expected to appear at Stratford Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Michael's death comes after a string of teenage stabbings in recent weeks.

On Thursday, Perry Jordan Brammer, 15, died a week after suffering multiple stab wounds during an attack in broad daylight.

The same week, Santino Angelo Dymiter, 18, was fatally stabbed in an attack in Chadd Green on August 26.

Amrou Greenidge, also 18, died after being deliberately rammed off his bike by a car in Fulham before being attacked as he lay in the street.