The father of an east London teenager who was murdered six years ago has urged witnesses to finally come forward and help police catch his son’s killer.
Sami Sidhom, 18, was stabbed to death near his home in Forest Gate as he walked back from seeing West Ham play Stoke City at the London Stadium in Stratford on April 16, 2018.
Detectives have pursued a number of lines of enquiry since, resulting in 10 arrests, but so far nobody has been charged.
An anonymous person has provided tip-offs to police, but despite a £20,000 reward on offer, they have never spoken directly to officers.
In an emotional appeal on the anniversary of Sami’s death, his father Samer Sidhom said: “My son's life was taken away for no reason whatsoever. It's so cruel, he did nothing wrong.
“If you're out there, and you know who these people are, I plead with you to do the right thing. Sami didn't deserve this and we need to have justice. If these killers continue walking free, they can just do it to someone else.”
Detectives said after watching the football game in Stratford, Sami took a bus to Romford Road and set out on the last part of his journey by foot.
He made his way along Sebert Road and turned left into Cranmer Road. He then turned left into Capel Road before crossing over into Chestnut Avenue.
At the same time, CCTV shows a silver car approaching the end of Chestnut Avenue where Sami crossed, later showing three men chasing Sami back into Chestnut Avenue followed by the same silver car.
Following the attack, the silver car and another car are seen to drive off.
Met Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, leading the investigation, said: “I am hoping that with the passing of six years since Sami’s life was so cruelly taken, someone may now feel that they can tell us who was responsible for his death.
“Despite numerous appeals and the offer of a reward, we are still waiting for the breakthrough that will help solve this case and bring some comfort to Sami’s family.
“I know there are people who have information about Sami’s murder. We have received information anonymously over the years, but nobody has ever spoken to us directly – I urge anyone who has information to reach out to us.
“Your information could bring relief to Sami’s family who have suffered years of grief since his death.”
