Robert Symons

Robert Symons, a 45-year-old science teacher from Chiswick, west London, was murdered in his family home in the early hours of 20 October 2004.

He was asleep upstairs with his wife Linda Davies and their two young daughters when drug addict Yusuf Bouhaddaou broke in through the front door to steal car keys for a Lexus parked outside.

Robert went downstairs to investigate noises, confronted the intruder in a scuffle, and was stabbed once in the chest with a kitchen knife. He bled to death quickly. His wife found him covered in blood on the dining room floor. 

Bouhaddaou had been released from prison on licence just five weeks earlier after serving time for previous burglaries. He admitted burglary but denied murder, claiming self-defence.

The jury at the Old Bailey convicted him of murder in just 40 minutes in March 2006. He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years. The judge condemned him for arming himself and delivering a fatal blow to escape, noting his quick return to night-time burglary for drug money. 

Rest in peace Robert. You will not be forgotten.