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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Independent staff and agencies

Chelsea stabbing: 14-year-old boy charged after man stabbed to death in west London

Police officers at the murder scene in Kensington, west London, where a man was stabbed to death. ( PA )

A 14 year-old boy has been charged with murder after a man was stabbed to death in west London.

The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, was arrested five days after last week's attack on 41-year-old Mark Fontaine in Chelsea.

Mr Fontaine, from Walthamstow, east London, collapsed in Cathcart Road at around 10.20pm and was pronounced dead at the scene 40 minutes later.

A postmortem confirmed he died of multiple stab wounds.

The 14 year-old suspect appeared at Highbury Magistrates court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Thursday.

Another boy, aged 17, was arrested on suspicion of murder on 4 June and remains in police custody.

After the incident, London's mayor said in a statement he was "deeply saddened" and added: "My thoughts are with his friends and family."

The killing is believed to be the 43rd fatal stabbing in London this year and one of around 70 murder investigations launched by London's Metropolitan Police this year.

Figures released by the force this month showed that in the year to March there has been a 23 percent increase in gun crime and a 21 percent rise in knife crime.

Crimes involving knives and sharp instruments across England and Wales are at their highest level since 2011, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Witnesses are being asked to contact the police incident room on 020 8358 0200 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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