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Southall murder: Stabbing victim named as ‘mild mannered grandfather’ who called out for wife after attack

Allan Isichei, a keen saxophonist, was killed on the way home from his local pub where he would regularly perform

Vincent Wood
Sunday 25 August 2019 19:07 EDT
Allan Isichei, 69, was stabbed to death in Southall as he traveled home from his local pub
Allan Isichei, 69, was stabbed to death in Southall as he traveled home from his local pub (Facebook)

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A “mild mannered” grandfather who was stabbed to death in west London on Saturday night called out for his wife before passing away, his neighbours have revealed.

Allan Isichei, the director of a building company and a keen saxophonist, was stabbed twice a few hundred yards from his home on St Mary's Avenue South as he walked from his local pub - the Plough Inn in Southall, West London.

A man in his 30s has since been arrested on suspicion of murder, and was held in hospital overnight where he received treatment for minor injuries.

The 69-year-old, who had three children with his wife Sandra, is believed to have left the pub “peacefully” before the incident took place.

A friend, who did not give his name, said: “He just walked home as normal and something happened before he got home.

"He would come in about once a week, he played in the band and used to pop in for a chat, he never had more than one pint. He was a lovely fellow, really mild-mannered, a lovely man."

After sustaining fatal stab wounds Mr Isichei, the managing director of family business Broadway Construction, was able to stumble to his neighbour’s doorstep to ask for help.

Neighbour Raj Grover, 41, said his son Kevneet, 15, answered the door shortly after 6:30pm to find Mr Isichei begging for an ambulance and calling out for his partner.

Mr Grover said: “He rang the bell and I went out, my son was there, he was shouting 'dad, come out'.

"I went downstairs and saw he was full of blood, and then I was running to pick up a towel.

"I put the towel and I was pressing to stop the blood, then my wife came out, we called the ambulance and the police."

Paramedics arrived at the scene within six minutes and attempted to take the 69-year-old to hospital - but were forced to pull over en-route at a nearby park.

Reverend Dave Bookless, the vicar of St Mary's church which stands opposite the scene, said: “The ambulance ended up stopping just down the road

"They were working on him there and trying to resuscitate him but sadly I think the injuries were too severe.

"It's come as a huge shock. A lot of people are saying this is not the kind of area this happens.

"Although we're kind of in the middle of urban, multicultural London, there's quite a village feeling here.

"It happened in broad daylight in a residential street. People are really quite shocked."

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