Yasmin Chkaifi, 43, was ambushed in the street and killed
(Picture: Handout)The grieving son of a woman who was fatally stabbed by her ex-husband in Maida Vale has spoken out for the first time.
Yasmin Chkaifi, 43, was ambushed in the street and killed by ex-partner Leon McCaskie, 3, in London on January 24 .
Her heartbroken son Zayd Bakkali, 18, said he felt let down by the police as he said they ignored opportunities to protect his mum from domestic abuse.
He told ITV News: “What they’ve done is they’ve taken my mother, they’ve taken it to a degree where this could have been avoided.”
During the TV interview, Mr Bakkali said he wants to use his voice to stop other women to suffer the same fate as his mum as he called for justice to be done.
He added: “I can’t put a word on it, but when I’d see McCaskie, I’d just think of my mother and I’d have to get to my mum immediately.
“I always had that, that seed of doubt in the back of my head that something’s gonna happen.”
A restraining order stopped McCaskie from entering the family’s road.
But the son said his mum’s ex lived so close he would see him every month and he said the police “did nothing”.
“They put an alarm in our house - did the alarm stop him? No. Did the restraining? No.” He added.
“All of these things that they systematically put into place for women around the country, they do not help them.”
The Met were unable to offer further comment.
Recently, Ms Chkaifi’s husband Joseph Salmon said the whole family have been left devastated by the tragedy.
He shared his warm words about his wife, hailing her as “smart, clever and witty”.
He told the BBC: “I’m grateful for the chance to talk to her, marry her, be happy with her, and fall in love with her.
“I just think domestic abuse is a very bad problem and, if there’s no education about it from very young, if things aren’t sorted, if men can’t keep their hands to themselves, I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
McCaskre died when he was hit by a car after a driver saw the knife attack and attempted to stop him from killing the mum.
The 26-year-old was released without charge, having originally arrested on suspicion of murder.
The full interview will air on ITV News at Ten.
