Mum wants justice for son a year on from murder

The mother of a 17-year-old boy who was stabbed to death at a birthday party in north-west London has said she wants "justice for my son".

Claudyo Lafayette died on 14 July 2023 following a fight in the street on Granville Road, Kilburn.

"I didn't just lose him that day, I lose him every day," his mother Yzakia Jauad said.

A £20,000 reward has been offered by Crimestoppers as part of an appeal for information about his killing.

Det Ch Insp Wayne Jolley said there had been an "altercation" inside the Granville Centre on the night of Claudyo's murder, which "spilled out" onto the road.

The 17-year-old was then stabbed in the stomach and died of his injuries at the scene, DCI Jolley said.

"There were over 100 people at the party and I believe that someone out there knows exactly what happened and has yet to come forward," he said.

"No matter how insignificant you think the information is, it could be the pivotal and important part that would lead us to securing charges against those responsible."

Speaking about her son's death a year on, Ms Jauad said: "I know everybody's scared, but guess what? We are also scared.

"That night Claudyo wasn't the only one who got hurt.

"I'm doing this to get justice for everything that happened that night."

She said that "there were other kids that got hurt that night, and for some reason or another, everybody went blind".

She added: "I didn't just lose him that day, I lose him every day, because every day I have to wake up to compose myself to be normal to society. And everyone else is living their lives, but we have to start over every day."

Deacon Wayne O'Reilly, who knew Claudyo, described the teenager as having "a smile that could light up any room".

"Claudyo wasn't perfect but he was a typical little boy," he said.

"He would get into scrapes and bits of trouble, but he had a real sense of injustice.

"He'd always stand up for the little ones."

Alexa Loukas, from Crimestoppers, said: "We know that young people don’t want to speak to the police for fear of being labelled a snitch, but you can safely tell Crimestoppers.

"We are not the police. We can’t identify who you are and will never ask for any of your personal details, but we can pass on what you know.

"Claudyo had his whole life ahead of him and stood up to injustice - he now deserves someone to come forward and do the right thing for him."

The £20,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible for the murder and is available until 10 October.

The charity can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.

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