Tony Eastlake: Late girlfriend's son found guilty of murder

Tony Eastlake died from a 6.5cm stab wound

A man has been found guilty at the Old Bailey of murdering a popular north London flower-seller.

James Peppiatt, who was the son of flower-seller Tony Eastlake's late girlfriend, got into a street brawl about his mother's suicide, for which he blamed Mr Eastlake.

Mr Eastlake was fatally stabbed in the back in Essex Road, Islington, in the 2021 incident.

The jury delivered the guilty verdict after deliberating for 13 hours and Judge Richard Marks KC adjourned sentencing until 24 August.

'Outpouring of grief'

Mr Eastlake's daughter, Paige Eastlake, said after the trial that her father's "pointless" murder, which happened near the stall he ran for more than 40 years, has devastated a community and ruined lives.

Ms Eastlake described her father as the "funniest, kindest, most generous person" she knew.

"He was my dad and my best friend.

"He'd been working on that stall since he was 14 and was 55 when he died - so a long time," she said.

She added that she was shocked at the outpouring of grief in the community for the man many in the area knew only as "Flower Man of Essex Road".

Floral tributes

Ms Eastlake, 28, said she was particularly struck by the reaction of one bus driver, who had stopped by the stall to find out what had happened despite having a bus full of passengers.

"I would just like to thank the Islington community for all of the support that they have shown me and my family. For the floral tributes, the hundreds of people who were at his funeral and the constant lines of support. I couldn't be prouder of my dad for the lasting legacy he's left as the Flower Man of Essex Road."

On Peppiatt, she said: "My dad wasn't an angry or horrible person. He would laugh about it. So I think I'm not going to live my life hating someone. He's ruined enough. I'm not going to let him ruin any more."