The neighborhood of Maida Vale, located in Greater London, is known for being upscale and frequented mostly by those in higher social standing. As such, the recent murder of a charity worker, Abdul Samad, in the area came as a shock to residents, with the man having been stabbed on his doorstep by two teenagers back on Monday, October 16. The incident was one of three crimes committed that day by the boys, who have since been charged.
According to the London Evening Standard , the accused are 17 and 18 years of age , with the latter’s identity having been revealed as Nathan Gilmaney. The teenagers were also charged with robbing a man who lived on a street close by Abdul Samad, who later died in hospital from his wounds. They are also facing one count of attempted robbery, with a third Maida Vale resident thankfully managing to fend the criminals off. Gilmaney and his accomplice are set to be arraigned tomorrow, October 20, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in Marylebone.
The reported reason behind the Maida Vale tragedy is just as senseless and upsetting as the man’s death itself, reveals the Daily Mail . The teenagers are said to have attempted the theft of Samad’s iPhone 7 while he was on the way back from a friend’s gathering, and when he resisted the boys began stabbing him in the heart. The 28-year-old’s parents found him bleeding profusely outside the flat after he repeatedly hit the buzzer for help, and they immediately called emergency services. Their efforts, however, turned out to be futile as the injuries were so severe that doctors were unable to save him.
Shortly after the murder took place, a statement was given by the victim’s brother in which he detailed the grief and anguish the family has gone through over this past week. He was alerted of the grim news via a telephone call, in which their mother simply said “your brother is dying.” One of Samad’s colleagues, who worked alongside him at Dragon Hall Trust, took to social media to express his feelings upon learning of the man’s death.
Devastated to lose a colleague to the same young people we try to transform. RIP Abdul Samad we will make soapbox even more a success now ?
— Bradley W (@Bradleyyy832) October 18, 2017
Although this is the first reported murder to occur in Maida Vale, it is not the only crime to have occurred over the past year. Back in August, Ham & High gave detail to an alleged shooting that turned out to not be what it initially seemed. Although panicked residents were convinced that an actual firearm was involved, their safety was deemed not at risk after authorities discovered the weapon in question was only a BB gun.
[Featured Image by Matt Dunham/AP Images]
