New milestone in London's crime epidemic as five killings in a week see capital's murder toll soar past total for whole of 2017 with 121 violent deaths
- After a killing in Ilford yesterday, homicide rate in London has hit 120 this year
- It's already above the 118 recorded last year, with six more weeks of 2018 left
- Most recent spate of violence saw five people killed in the space of a week
The number of killings in London so far this year has now soared past the total in the whole of 2017.
A week of violence in the capital earlier this month - and two further suspected murders yesterday - have taken the total number of homicides to 121.
It means that with more than a month left to go until the New Year, the total is already above the 118 homicides seen in the capital in 2017.
John Ogunjobi, Ayodeji Habeeb Azeez and Malcolm Mide-Madariola are among the most recent of London's mounting number of murder victims
Two murder probes have already been launched this week, with 35-year-old Devi Unmathallegadoo, dying from a stomach wound in Ilford, east London yesterday.
Ramanodge Unmathallegadoo, 50, has been charged with murder and will appear in court later today.
This morning, police announced a 62-year-old woman had been killed in Balham late last night and a 66-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder.
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A year of bloodshed has seen 68 stabbings, 12 shootings and two deaths involving a knife and a gun.
In February, London's murder rate rose past that of New York, with Scotland Yard looking at 15 suspicious deaths and the NYPD investigating 11.
The murder rate surged again in the week from October 31, when there were five fatal stabbings.
The growing number of murders in the capital have happened in the south and north of London
Earlier this month, in the space of a week, Rocky Djelal, 38, was fatally stabbed in Rotherhithe, 15-year-old Jay Hughes was killed in Bellingham, Malcolm Mide-Madariola, 17, was was fatally knifed in Clapham, Ayodeji Habeeb Azeez, 22, was murdered in Anerley, and John Ogunjobi, 16, was killed in Tulse Hill.
Experienced detectives say they have shocked by the volume of violent crime and ferocity of some attacks in the capital this year.
A total of 20 of those killed have been teenagers, six of whom were shot and 14 of whom were stabbed.
The number is still below the 205 killings recorded between April 2003 and March 2004.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has been criticised for failing to do enough to stop the violence.
He announced plans for a Violence Reduction Unit that would adopt the public health approach to tackle violent crime that was successfully used in Glasgow.
The Metropolitan Police Violent Crime Task Force has meanwhile seized 340 knives, 40 guns and 258 other offensive weapons in its first six months of operation, and making more than 1,350 arrests.
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