Teen Stabbed to Death in Brutal London Gang Robbery
A 16-year-old boy was fatally stabbed after standing up to robbers in a chilling park attack. The Old Bailey jury heard how Stelios Averkiou was stabbed in the leg during a violent robbery at Lordship Lane Recreation Ground in summer 2021.
Murder Verdict for Teen Knife Attacker
Kyi-Reice Sylvester, 18, from Cheshunt, was found guilty of murdering Stelios at trial on November 29. He had already pleaded guilty to five knife-point robberies. Meanwhile, co-defendant Leon Gruber, 18, was cleared of murder but admitted to four robberies.
Both men remain in custody and await sentencing at the Old Bailey in January 2023.
Knife Attack Caught on CCTV
The court heard the terrifying moment Sylvester and Gruber approached Stelios and his friends. After asking if they were from a rival gang, Sylvester pulled out a large knife and stabbed Stelios in the thigh when he resisted.
Emergency services arrived to find Stelios bleeding heavily from a huge wound. Officers applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, and medics performed emergency surgery at the scene. Though Stelios reached hospital alive, he tragically died days later without regaining consciousness.
CCTV footage showed the suspects fleeing — Gruber was seen riding off on a bike belonging to one of Stelios’s friends. Phone data placed both attackers at the crime scene.
Police and Family React
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Rawlinson said: “I am pleased the jury reached a guilty verdict. These defendants threatened our community’s safety and stole from others. I am confident sentencing will reflect the severity of their crimes.”
“Tragically, another young life has been cut short by people who carry knives,” DCI Rawlinson added. “It is my sincere hope Stelios’s loved ones find some comfort in the verdict.”
Stelios’s mother, Maria Averkiou, said: “My family has been ripped apart by senseless violence. Stelios was doing nothing wrong, just a 16-year-old boy with his friends in a park. Our hearts are broken.”
Detective Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh added: “This was a completely senseless killing. Knife crime remains a priority and we’re committed to bringing offenders to justice.”
