Murder suspect held at carnival appears in court

A murder suspect arrested at the Notting Hill Carnival after allegedly evading police for a month has appeared at the Old Bailey.

Kamar Williams, 33, had recently broken up with his girlfriend when he allegedly stabbed her father with a Rambo knife.

The victim, Derek Thomas, 53, was walking near Stoke Newington Common in Hackney, north-east London, when a man got out of a van and approached him, just after 23:00 BST on 30 July.

Mr Thomas was attacked with what witnesses described as a "very big knife", the Old Bailey heard.

Mr Thomas, who lived in Stoke Newington, fell to the ground as members of the public rushed to his aid. He was declared dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination found he had sustained three stab wounds, with the fatal injury to his chest.

The bus driver had been walking home from work when he was attacked.

A grey Citroen van allegedly used by Mr Williams was found abandoned in east London on 1 August.

Two days later, a BMW car allegedly associated with the defendant was stopped in Burntash Hill, south-east London, but drove off at speed before crashing into other cars, the court was told.

It is alleged Mr Williams then ran off, jumping through a series of gardens. A female passenger was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

The Metropolitan Police went on to issue public appeals to find Mr Williams. He was detained at Notting Hill Carnival on 26 August.

The defendant, of Cuba Street in the Isle of Dogs, east London, appeared at the Old Bailey by video-link from Pentonville Prison.

Judge Anthony Leonard KC set a plea hearing for 15 November and a provisional two-week trial to start on 2 June.

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