David Cheres, 21, of Ellen Street, Tower Hamlets, was sentenced to a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act with conditions under Section 41 for the manslaughter of Tiparat Argatu on Wednesday, 1 February, at the Old Bailey.
On 26 August 2022, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the same court, but his plea was rejected, and a two-month trial began on 31 October 2022. Cheres was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.
Cheres, the court heard, entered Tiparat’s room around 2pm on January 24, 2021, and violently attacked her with a kitchen knife and a pair of scissors.
Cheres savagely stamped on her neck and face, bit her arm, and stabbed and slashed her with such force that he bent the scissors in half.
Despite the fact that officers and the London Ambulance Service were called to the scene, they were unable to save Tiparat’s life.
Officers later saw Cheres walking down Ellen Street, naked and with blood on his hands. He claimed to have come from the bin cupboard, where a duvet and pillows were later discovered. He was apprehended and detained.
Officers examined all available CCTV footage from the surrounding area and discovered that Cheres had walked down Cable Street at 04:52, undressed completely, abandoned his bloody clothes, and continued walking naked.
Cheres was examined by medical professionals and determined to be fit to stand trial. As previously stated, he was charged and convicted.
Tiparat’s family stated that she was loved by everyone who knew her, and they remember her kindness and determination to help everyone she could.
“I want to have our younger sister back because Tiparat was a really nice person who loved her brother, sister, and mother very much,” Virongrong Witpiboolrat, Tiparat Argatu’s sister, said. She used to save her own money and buy things for her sisters in secret, giving money to her sisters because her sister does not work. “She gave to everyone, including me.” Our family is still in mourning and can’t get over what happened to her. Every day, we miss our wonderful sister, and nothing in our family life is the same. She was severely abused, she was unable to fight back, she had no one beside her, not even her husband or siblings, she had no chance to say goodbye on the last breath of life, and our family is suffering today, and we will never be as happy as we used to be, because we no longer hear her, we no longer see the face of our dearest sister.
I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Tiparat Argatu,” said Detective Sergeant Jugdeep Atwal of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command. This was a completely irrational killing. Her family will now have to live without her for the rest of their lives because Cheres lost his temper. Tiparat must have been terrified in the last few minutes of her life. Nobody should ever have to live in fear or violence in their own home. No matter how angry you are, violence is never the solution.” Incidents like this highlight why the Met considers violence against women and girls to be a top priority, and why we are working tirelessly with our partners to bring the perpetrators of such violent crimes to justice.
