Man jailed for murdering father in Mitcham

A man has been jailed for murdering a father in Mitcham, following a Met Police investigation.

On Wednesday, 3 June, at the Old Bailey, Kemuel Gambicky-Forbes, 25 (02.04.2001), of Deer Park Gardens, Mitcham, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 26 years for the murder of 39-year-old Leon Anderson.

Leon was attacked outside his home in Maple Close on Monday, 28 April 2025. He was stabbed, and died shortly afterwards.

Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, who led the investigation, said: “This was a devastating case, in which a man was murdered outside his own home in the presence of his family. Leon was a devoted father and a loving partner, and our thoughts remain with all those who were close to him.

“I would particularly like to acknowledge the courage of the local community. A number of neighbours came forward immediately to assist officers, providing clear accounts of what they had witnessed.

“Leon’s devasted wife Natasha also gave compelling evidence about what had happened. She had bravely attempted to intervene and deescalate the situation before the fatal stabbing.

“Gambicky-Forbes sought to portray himself as having acted in self-defence, claiming that Leon was the aggressor and that all of the witnesses were either mistaken or dishonest. The jury rejected this account.”

At around 19:15hrs on Monday, 28 April, police received a 999 call from Leon Anderson, who reported that a man known to him from the local area had threatened him with a knife outside his home.

The confrontation continued during the call, prompting an immediate response. Officers arrived at the scene within minutes to find Leon critically injured inside his house. Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics, he died at the scene.

Multiple neighbours, and a tradesman working at a nearby property, told officers they had witnessed the confrontation between Mr Anderson and the knifeman, who fled the scene through some nearby woods.

Officers recovered a phone belonging to one Kemuel Gambicky-Forbes. A police dog was deployed, and a rucksack, jeans and hoodie were found discarded nearby.

A manhunt ensued, and Gambicky-Forbes presented at a police station the following day (Tuesday, 29 April). He mostly refused to comment at interview, maintaining that Mr Anderson had tried to run him over prior to the stabbing.

In a statement, Mr Anderson's wife said: "This was a completely unnecessary killing. It was cruel, devastating, and has left permanent damage to a family who loved Leon beyond words.

"No sentence will ever bring my husband back. We will spend the rest of our lives grieving the man we loved, the husband I should have grown old with, and the father our children should have had for many more years.

"Leon was loved and will be missed every single second of every single day."