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The family of a “loving father” who was stabbed to death during a night out in London have called for knife-wielding killers to face life sentences.
Ibrahim Bah, a 35-year-old rail worker from Shooter’s Hill, was killed by David Joseph Johnson, then 37, after a fight broke out outside Belushi’s bar in Greenwich in the early hours of Sunday May 1 2022.
CCTV footage captured the moment Johnson pulled a knife from his waistband and began waving it, slashing another 37-year-old man before stabbing Ibrahim once in the stomach and walking away from the crowd.
The father-of-one, who witnesses say was trying to break up the fight, collapsed on the pavement and died on the way to hospital shortly before his mother Kadijatu Bah, 56, arrived.
Speaking publicly for the first time about the attack, she said Ibrahim’s death has had a devastating and lasting impact on his family, in particular his four-year-old son Kaylum, who was recently diagnosed with autism and has “stopped talking” since his father died.
Johnson was sentenced to 14 years in prison with 17 years on extended licence at Woolwich Crown Court after being found guilty of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm in February 2023.
But Kadijatu feels the sentence was not enough and fears her grandson Kaylum and Ibrahim’s partner Precious could one day bump into the killer.
In August this year, Ibrahim’s sister Salamata Bah, 32, launched a petition to the Government on Change.org demanding “stricter laws” against knife crimes.
“People just don’t understand what knife crime does to a family – they don’t understand the impact it has because the grief will never go away, especially for me, because I’ve got a child with him, I’ve got half of him,” Precious, who still struggles to talk about what happened, told PA Real Life.
“When he gets older, he’s going to ask me where’s his dad and I just don’t know how I’m going to tell him.”
Kadijatu added: “Johnson will get out of prison one day, but I will never see my son again.
“People think it just affects one person, but by stabbing someone you have destroyed a whole family.
“My son was a lovely man who loved everyone… giving somebody 14 years in prison, what is 14 years? Is that enough?
“I think the Government is making it too easy for all these guys… some of them don’t even care about going to prison, it’s like a holiday camp for them, where they have facilities that some of us don’t even have on the outside.”
The last time Kadijatu saw her son was April 30 2022, when he told her he was going to work and planned to buy her a gift for Eid, an occasion to mark the end of Ramadan which the Muslim family was preparing to celebrate.
Nine hours later, he was dead.
Ibrahim had gone out with a friend and visited Belushi’s bar on Greenwich High Road where his brother’s girlfriend Ellison worked.
At around 2am, a fight started outside the bar during which Johnson pulled a knife and stabbed Ibrahim.
CCTV showed a crowd of people rushing to help Ibrahim before paramedics arrived and took him to Lewisham Hospital.
Ibrahim’s mother was sleeping at home when she awoke to a phone call from Ellison at the scene.
“I always leave my phone on high volume, because I’m a mother,” she said.
“As soon as I picked up, Ellison said Ibrahim has been stabbed – I was shocked.
“The police took the phone and asked if I was Ibrahim’s mum, and then told me to make my way to the nearest hospital.”
Kadijatu jumped in a taxi but by the time she arrived it was too late.
Speaking through tears, she explained: “The doctor said we should wait and then called me into a room.
“They said: ‘We are really sorry, we tried our best, but we were unable to save him’.
“They gave me a chair to sit down and I said to my youngest son Alpha: ‘It’s time to pray.'”
Kadijatu said she does not know the details of what happened, but witnesses told her Ibrahim had tried to break up the fight.
Ellison who was working at the bar on the night he was stabbed said: “It was literally my second night working.
“On that night, suddenly a fight broke out outside and him and his mates were trying to break it up, and then he just got stabbed really quickly.”
Ibrahim’s death has taken a heavy toll on Kadijatu, who said her mental health has spiralled.
“Now my son is gone, but I’m still going through trauma and am still depressed,” she said.
“My life is changed for good – sometimes I just sit down and start crying.”
They have also noticed a change in the behaviour of Kaylum, now four, who was recently diagnosed with autism.
“He is still traumatised because he was with his dad that same day and then he no longer saw his dad, and he couldn’t get his head around that,” said Precious.
“He kept calling for his dad to the point where he has now stopped talking.”
Johnson was found guilty of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm with intent after a three-week trial.
He had pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article at an earlier court hearing and was sentenced to 14 years in prison with 17 years on extended licence.
But Ibrahim’s family feel courts are not tough enough on knife crime.
“I think if they find somebody guilty of killing somebody, it should be life (sentence),” said Kadijatu.
“You kill someone and get 14 years in prison, or even 20 – while the victim is gone for good.”
Ibrahim’s sister Salamata launched a petition calling on the Government to adopt a stricter approach to knife crime.
“There is too much knife crime in the UK… if they make tougher laws in this country, I believe that knife crime will stop,” said Kadijatu.
The Labour Government has pledged to halve knife crime in a decade and is in the process of implementing the Offensive Weapons Act, which is due to be introduced in September and will see a ban on owning zombie-style knives and machetes.
Kadijatu said: “(Ibrahim) was a very nice person who put people’s happiness over his.
“He was always sacrificing himself for people and that’s how he died, by sacrificing himself.
“At least I’m proud that my son is not the one who killed somebody.”
The family’s Change.org petition is at change.org/p/demand-stringent-laws-against-knife-crimes
A spokesperson for the Sentencing Council said: “The Sentencing Council is not able to comment on individual cases.
“Sentencing guidelines, such as that for the offence of unlawful act manslaughter, reflect the maximum sentences set by Parliament.
“When sentencing, the judge must follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, unless it is contrary to the interests of justice to do so.
“The court will take into account a wide range of factors when sentencing, including the culpability of the offender, what harm was done and whether there were any aggravating or mitigating circumstances.”
