Maida Vale: Tributes paid to woman killed as family say ‘she didn't deserve to die'

The devastated family of a mother-of-two stabbed to death before a motorist mowed down her attacker in west London said on Tuesday: “She didn’t deserve to die.”

The driver, 26, used his blue Renault Clio to run over a 41-year-old hooded knifeman on the pavement in a bid to stop the frenzied assault around 9am on Monday.

He was arrested on suspicion of murder but has been bailed by detectives pending further investigation.

Children and parents on the school run witnessed the double killing in Maida Vale.

On Tuesday, the 43-year-old victim’s tearful son joined mourners laying flowers at the scene and said: “She didn’t deserve to die. Please keep her in your prayers. Everyone who knew her knew she was a good person.”

Relatives named her as Wafah Chkaifi and said she had two boys aged 16 and 18. She lived in the area for many years. A male was too distressed to speak at her flat close to the crime scene.

An aunt, named only as Haida, added: “She had had a heart of gold, was beautiful and had friends from all cultures.

“Her mother is in hospital. She was taken in after she was given the news. We are struggling to cope.”

Horror unfolded as the woman was stabbed multiple times by a man known to her in Chippenham Road.

Witnesses desperately tried to intervene to save her, but she was knifed up to 10 times by the attacker who allegedly shouted “take it” and “nobody come to me”.

Local Mulugeta Asseratte said the vehicle then “hit both of them”.

Police, ambulance and fire crews freed the injured assailant who was trapped underneath the car. Both were pronounced dead.

Eyewitness Lolita Aranas, 66, said: “There were children screaming. A man was laying across the road with a head injury and a woman was also on the ground.

“It was like a scene from hell. I’m a volunteer at St Peter’s Church which overlooks the scene. I could not believe what I was seeing. The paramedics came and worked on them so hard.”

Raad Jiyad, 52, told the Standard he got blood on his hands trying to save the woman.

Mr Jiyad said: “I saw a man over a woman with a knife, I saw the blade. I heard her screaming in pain.

“I wanted to try and make him come towards me instead to buy her some time. We tried to save her.

“He had this big knife so no-one wanted to go near. Then this car came through and ran him over.

“It was all over so quickly. He went completely under the car. I think the driver was just trying to buy time to distract him.”

Mr Jiyad said the driver’s actions were heroic, adding: “I tried to speak to her as she was bleeding and held her as she took her last breath. I have blood on my hand from it.”

A man, who saw the attack, added: “The driver said to me ‘What have I done?’. I told him ‘You had to do that’.”

“The driver had both of them under his car – the guy and the girl.

“Me and two geezers had to lift the car up and drag her body out. We were giving her CPR but she had stab wounds everywhere. We couldn’t stop the blood.”

The families of the man and woman who died have now been told.

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood said: “This was a terrible incident that occurred in broad daylight on a busy London street. It also appears that a number of members of the public bravely tried to intervene to stop the attack.

“A man has been arrested in relation to the case; we are not aware of any links between this man and the two deceased. I can also confirm that we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection to this incident.

“A team of detectives are working to establish the circumstances of the incident and I would ask the public to avoid speculating on what may have happened while these initial enquiries take place.

“A number of people have already come forward, but we are still asking for anyone to make contact with us. Any information could be vital in helping us understand why this dreadful incident happened.”

Witnesses can call police on 101, quoting the reference 1496/24jan, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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