Knife crime: Yobs forced lad to plunge to his death

A terrified 16-year-old who fell 100ft to his death from a block of flats was trying to flee a gang of masked hoodies, police revealed yesterday.

Witnesses say Ahmed Benyermak, 16, feared he was about to be stabbed by the knife-wielding youths on push-bikes.
He climbed down six floors on the outside of the 15-storey building.

But when he reached the seventh ledge, a piece of wire mesh gave way and he lost his footing.

Neighbours said Ahmed was with friends when he was chased by the gang, who were wearing bandanas.

It is believed the pals ran into the Trelawney Estate in Hackney, East London, but Ahmed became separated and ended up on a 13th floor balcony of the Paragon Road tower.

He is believed to have started lowering himself as the gang shouted threats at him.

He plunged to the ground and died instantly from horrific internal injuries, a post-mortem revealed.

Local resident James Roberts, 45, said: "About five kids were chasing him, probably trying to stab him."
Others even claimed Ahmed may have been pushed at 4pm on Wednesday - 24 hours before he'd have learned he'd got nine GCSEs.

His headmaster Richard Brown, of Hackney Free and Parochial Secondary, said: "He had only been here a year so it's a great achievement turned to tragedy - possibly because of gang activity that usually hardly impacts at this school.

"Some of his family came in and found out about his results but not his parents. They were too upset."
Ahmed's Moroccan-born dad Rashid, 42, and Naima, 40, sobbed at home nearby last night: "This should be one of the happiest days of our lives. Instead it's the saddest."

Naima, who has three other children, went on: "Ahmed said he'd do well and would have been so proud. Now our lovely caring boy is gone."

As schoolpals laid flowers and cards by the block yesterday, classmate Levyna Hall-Gordon, 16, said: "Ahmed was a good kid who wasn't involved in gangs or anything.