This is 17-year old Kyall Parnell from Thornton Heath, a former Dunraven school pupil, who was stabbed to death Norwood Road near the junction with Station Rise at around 10.43pm on 31 December 2017 Year''s Eve ...
... he was pronounced dead at the scene at 11.38pm. A post-mortem gave the preliminary cause of death as a stab wound to the heart.
Following his death, his mother Katrina paid tribute to her “amazing” son, who had recently enrolled on a bricklaying apprenticeship.
She said: “He was loved. This shouldn’t have happened. These boys need to stop doing what they’re doing.
“My boy was amazing, he was smart. He had potential to go places. They would be calling me and telling me he was the smartest boy in the class.
“He needed to be doing active things. He was good boy. These young boys need to stop and think, they need to look after each other. This is someone’s life.”
Kyall’s grandmother Maida Grant, 67, also called to an end for the bloodshed.
Speaking from her home, half a mile from where her grandson died, she told the Evening Standard:
“This is happening too much. Every day if there is an argument, a knife is always involved. If they don’t get a response they want, they still draw a knife. “It’s as if life is cheap and they don’t think of the consequences.”
Ms Grant added: “His mother was the last person that he spoke to. He told her he was going to a party. He was loving, he always liked hugs. Christmas Eve was the last time I saw him.
On 10 January 2018, at Southwark Coroner’s Court, it was revealed that the 16-year-old boy who stabbed Kyall Parnell to death may not be charged with murder because he "acted in self-defence", police have said.
Police said Kyall was himself armed with a knife and had behaved “very aggressively” towards his attacker, chasing him through the south London district.
Detective Inspector Ian Titterrell, from the Metropolitan Police's Homicide and Major Crime Command, told the court Kyall was with a group of friends on a bus when another group including the unnamed 16-year-old boarded.
"As those three males walked up to the top deck where Kyall and his friends were sitting, there was immediately a confrontation,” he added.
"The three males who had just got on at Tulse Hill got off the bus and they were pursued by Kyall and his friends, with two of the males seeking refuge in a convenience store.
"Witnesses had seen the chasing group in possession of knives and Kyall is seen in very clear CCTV on the route 68 bus to approach an individual in a very aggressive manner with his hand placed towards his left hip area - there was a suggestion of something glinting.
"A knife was found on Kyall afterwards. The male, fearing for his safety, has stabbed Kyall once in the chest. This stab wound pierced the heart and it's that that led to his death.”
DI Titterrell said that during the confrontation, Kyall’s friends told him to “stab him, finish him off”, which the younger boy claimed caused him to take out a knife from his bag before plunging it into the victim in an attempt to protect himself.
The 16-year-old, who was arrested and bailed, told police he had been stabbed before in attacks involving Kyall, from Thornton Heath in south London.
DI Titterrell said the Tulse Hill investigation was ongoing but at this stage the Crown Prosecution Service had indicated that it would not charge the attacker with a homicide offence because of the “real issue” of self-defence.
The inquest was opened and adjourned to a date to be fixed.
Anyone who witnessed this incident or has information should call the incident room on 020 8721 4005 or contact via Twitter @MetCC
To remain anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.
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