Father of stabbed law student issues appeal over ‘mistaken identity’ attack

The father of a law student stabbed to death in what is thought to be a case of mistaken identity has urged any witnesses not to let his son’s killers get away with it.

Sami Sidhom, 18, was walking back from a football match and just minutes from his home in Forest Gate, east London, when he was set upon by a number of attackers and stabbed multiple times in April.

Speaking at the scene of the murder on Thursday, seven months on from the attack, Sami’s father Samer Sidhom said anyone with information had a “choice to be someone that hides in the dark, or a brave person who sets the record straight”.

“It took Sami 45 minutes to die, he died in unbearable pain, he bled to death on the cold asphalt of the pavement,” Mr Sidhom said.

“We cannot let the killers get away with it.

“You know who you are and you have a choice. A choice to be someone that hides in the dark, or a brave person who sets the record straight.

“If you know the killers you already know they killed a perfectly innocent person for no reason whatsoever.

“The only person that would stop them from doing the same to you is you. You need to stand up and provide the evidence or information that will put them behind bars for a lifetime.”

He added: “You owe it to yourself and to an innocent brilliant young man.”

Sami, who was in his first year studying history and law at Queen Mary University and wanted to study law “to help others”, had been to watch West Ham United play Stoke City on the night of April 16 when he was attacked.

After getting off a bus in Romford Road, he was “stabbed multiple times by a number of suspects”, police said.

The alarm was raised at 10.50pm and police and paramedics rushed to the scene in Chestnut Avenue, but the teenager was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later.

Police said it was thought Sami was murdered in a case of mistaken identity.

As Sami 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, before attacking the cars with what have been described as iron bars, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Wrigley said.

“I believe Sami was mistakenly identified as part of an opposing group relating to the other incident that took place down the road,” he said.

“I don’t think they’ve mistook him in terms of identity for another individual, but maybe for a member of that group.”

He went on: “What I am looking for is if you were part of that group and you haven’t spoken to my investigation, you need to come forward now to be eliminated.”

Eight males – aged 15, 17, 21, four aged 22 and one aged 35 – have been arrested but no charges have been brought and a £20,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Seven of those arrested remain “of interest” to the investigation, Mr Wrigley said.