Ben Hitchcock

Ben Hitchcock, a popular 16-year-old schoolboy from Penge in south-east London who had just finished his GCSEs at Kelsey Park Sports College, was chased down and stabbed to death around 11.36pm on 23 June 2007 during a large-scale street fight involving up to 40 youths in Southend Road, Beckenham, Kent, near Crystal Palace FC’s training ground

He and his friends had tried to flee a rival gang armed with metal poles, broken bottles and planks of wood; witnesses described how Ben was dragged into the road, stamped on the head, punched towards spiked metal railings and then stabbed in the back with a knife while he pleaded “Please help me,” before collapsing. 

He died shortly afterwards at Lewisham Hospital. Fourteen youths (aged 13–16) were arrested immediately, with more later, and four older teenagers from south London — Mitchell Elliott (19, Woolwich), Andre Lawrence-Bennett (18, Catford), Olatunji Olulu (18, Catford) and Royston Thomas (19, Sydenham) — all linked to the Lewisham Blue borough gang, stood trial for murder at the Old Bailey in 2009; however, Elliott and Lawrence-Bennett were acquitted, Olulu was cleared on the judge’s direction, and the fourth was tried separately, leaving no one convicted of the murder. 

His murder has never been solved and his family have waited years for justice and for answers.

Rest in peace Ben, you will not be forgotten.