Two men jailed following fatal stabbing in Hackney

Two men have been jailed after Met detectives found CCTV and a receipt which linked them to a fatal stabbing in east London.

Trei Daley died after being attacked after an argument at a takeaway shop in Hackney Wick. His friendly was seriously injured.

Christopher Appiah-Blay, 35 (09.02.88), of Hackney, was found guilty of manslaughter at the Old Bailey on Friday, 26 January.

Mawien Mawien, 38 (04.04.84) of Romford, was found guilty of grievous bodily harm on the same date.

They were sentenced at the same court on Wednesday, 31 January to 14 years and five years' imprisonment respectively.

Detective Inspector Jim Barry, who led the investigation, said: "While it is nothing new for altercations to begin after a night out, this is yet another example of the devastation caused by carrying and using a knife.

"Appiah-Blay and a woman had become involved in an argument resulting in him becoming aggressive and throwing food over her.

"Trei and his friends became involved, trying to calm things down. Instead, Appiah-Blay and Mawien who had gone out armed with knives and stabbed the pair. Trei and his friend were unarmed.

"We recovered a wealth of CCTV that showed the terrible incident in full.

“Trei was a loving father, son, brother, cousin and friend to many. His death is, and will continue to be devastating for them all.”

“Knife crime continues to shatter lives. It is not lawful to carry a knife, and if you feel unsafe, contact the police. The Met will continue our work to make communities safer and ensure those who believe it is acceptable to carry and use knives are bought to justice.”

An investigation began after officers were called at around 04:30hrs on 11 February 2023 to two people presented at an east London hospital with stab injuries.

Despite the efforts of medics, Trei, aged 26 from Bromley, died around an hour later.

A post-mortem examination held on 14 February found the cause of death to have been a stab wound to the chest.

Trei's friend, aged 24, left hospital later that same day having sustained two stab injuries to his back.

Homicide detectives found Trei was stabbed near to the Colour Factory nightclub in Queen’s Yard, near White Post Lane in Hackney Wick.

Both he and his friend, and the defendants, had been out at the nightclub. CCTV was recovered showing Trei and Appiah-Blay passing each other in the course of the evening.

They left at around 04:00hrs and went into a nearby takeaway restaurant, where Appiah-Blay became embroiled in a row with a woman.

They exchanged insults and pushed and shoved each other. Appiah-Blay complained that she had spat at him and threw a drink at her - some of the contents striking Trei and his friend - and then a burger.

Trei told Appiah-Blay to calm down but tensions were growing and a few minutes later a fight broke out.

Though CCTV showed Trei had struck the first blow against another man, both Appiah-Blay and Mawien instantly produced knives.

The fight moved to an alleyway area, where CCTV captured the two parties retreating and advancing as the dynamic shifted. One of Trei's friends had struck Appiah-Blay over the head with a bottle.

The fight then burst out back into the road and Mawien stabbed Trei's friend in the back.

Seconds later Appiah-Blay stabbed Trei twice in the chest.

It was immediately obvious that Trei had been very seriously injured. He was helped into a car by a man who had seen what happened and they made the short drive, with the other victim, to hospital.

Tragically, Trei could not be saved.

Appiah-Blay went to another hospital for treatment to an injury to his hand. Staff called police but he refused to engage with officers. A link between the two incidents was not immediately identified but vital evidence in the form of clothing was seized by attending police.

Appiah-Blay was traced to an address in the N9 area and arrested on suspicion of murder on 13 February.

When they searched his home officers found a receipt for the takeaway restaurant where the fight had broken out. It was dated 11 February 2023 at 04:04hrs.

Mawien was arrested on 23 February as he tried to get into a taxi.

Both Appiah-Blay and Mawien were charged with murder soon after their arrest.