Reward offered a year after Ilford killing

ZIGGY WORRELL-OWUSU died on 27th October 2016, and to mark the first anniversary of his death Crimestoppers have put up a £10,000 reward for information which leads to a successful prosecution.

Ziggy, from Hackney, lost his life at a party in the Basement Shisha Lounge in Goodmayes Road, Ilford, the day after his 19th birthday. The emergency services were called after midnight and when they reached the party venue they found Ziggy had been stabbed. Friends had given him first aid at the scene, and paramedics also treated him before taking him to hospital, but he was too badly hurt and died shortly after reaching hospital.

The event Ziggy was at was an 18th birthday party and there have been reports that he was trying to break up a fight when he was stabbed. There were around 100 people there at the time Ziggy was stabbed and police are frustrated that partygoers have not volunteered more information – leaving the killer at large and free to hurt someone else, possibly fatally.

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Packer from the Homicide and Major Crime Command, who is leading the investigation, said, “It is now a year on and we know there are a large number of young people who were inside the Basement Shisha Lounge that night who still haven’t come forward to speak to us. We urgently need still to identify a significant number of people who were at the party and would encourage anyone with any information to get in touch.

“In addition to our previous appeals, we continue to appeal to any partygoers who might be in possession of video footage or photos from the party to also make contact with police. A popular young man had his life taken away in the most tragic manner and your information, no matter how insignificant you think it might be, could be vital to piecing together the events of that evening.”

Speaking on the anniversary of Ziggy’s death, Belinda Owusu, Ziggy’s sister, added her voice to the police appeal, saying, “It’s been one year since Ziggy was taken away from us. Yesterday would have been his 20th birthday. Whilst we visit where he rests now, we have been unable to heal not knowing how or why this happened, and who took him from us. Again, we plead that anyone who may know anything to come forward with any information. We miss him everyday and will carry him with us always.”

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