Carlton McDonald

Carlton McDonald was stabbed to death in Camberwell New Road by a gang of about 15 black youths.

He was found slumped in an alleyway. He had been stabbed once and was taken to King’s College Hospital where he died an hour later.

He had been out in Camberwell to a wedding reception at St. Mary's Community Hall on the Sunday night. He had gone home when it was said that he got a call from a friend saying that he had been robbed and had lost his phone and Carlton McDonald agreed to go and meet him at the corner of Warner Road.

He was later walking along Camberwell New Road with four friends in the early hours when they were attacked by the gang of 15 youths who were armed with knives, a baseball bat and a hammer.

His four friends were all also injured and taken to hospital but discharged soon after.

Around the same time, another man was robbed by a gang of youths and reported the incident to the police.

Both the murder and the robbery happened between midnight and 1.30am on 26 August 2001.

It was thought that the 15 gang members had all been aged between 15 and 18 years old. It was thought that they had carried out a string of robberies and assaults from midnight onwards and the police said that they were interested in hearing from anyone else that had been robbed or assaulted. it was also said that the gang might have been high on drugs at the time.

Police found two kitchen knives in the area but said that they didn't think they had been the murder weapons.

Three people were arrested the following day, but none were charged.

Carlton McDonald had worked at a West Indian bakery, the Mixed Blessings Bakery, on Mitcham Road in Tooting since leaving school. The police said that he was not involved with either gangs or drugs.