Sami Sidhom death: 'Mistaken identity' over fatal Forest Gate stabbing
- Published
Sami Sidhom was found injured in Chestnut Avenue, Forest Gate and died shortly afterwards
The father of a law student stabbed to death in what is thought to be a case of mistaken identity has appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Sami Sidhom, 18, was walking back from a West Ham match to his home in Forest Gate, east London, on 16 April.
Police say he was set upon by a number of attackers in the Chestnut Avenue area and stabbed multiple times.
His father, Sameer Sidhom, said a "brave person" needed to come forward and to "set the record straight".
Mr Sidhom, who was in his first year studying history and law at Queen Mary University, had been to watch West Ham United draw 1-1 with Stoke City when he was attacked shortly before 23:00 BST.
After getting off a bus in Romford Road, he was "stabbed multiple times by a number of suspects", Det Ch Insp Mark Wrigley said.
'Died in unbearable pain'
As he was walking home, a group of individuals in a small silver car first tried to block two vehicles from driving up Chestnut Avenue from Avenue Road.
He said: "I believe Sami was mistakenly identified as part of an opposing group relating to the other incident that took place down the road."
"I don't think they mistook him in terms of identity for another individual, but maybe for a member of that group."
Seven months on his father said the killers "could not get away with it".
Sameer Sidhom said: "It took Sami 45 minutes to die, he died in unbearable pain, he bled to death on the cold asphalt of the pavement."
"If you know the killers you already know they killed a perfectly innocent person for no reason whatsoever."
Four males - aged 15, 17, 21 and 35, plus four other men aged 22 - have been arrested, but no charges have been made.
A £20,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
- Published29 April 2018
