Cher Maximen died after being stabbed in front of her daughter at Notting Hill Carnival. Shakeil Thibou is on trial.
Shakeil Thibou, age 20, is accused of stabbing Cher Maximen in the groin with a large, zombie-style knife. Before this, he also attacked a man who retreated from him and the knife, luckily only getting injured.
Shakeil is being tried for murder and faces attempted murder charges. He allegedly possessed an offensive weapon, and his brothers, Sheldon and Shaeim Thibou, are also involved in the case, accused of violent disorder and assaulting a police officer.
Police body camera footage revealed the chaos that unfolded on Golborne Road. The incident began around 5:48 p.m. when the Thibou brothers argued with two other men while Ms. Maximen stood nearby with her group.
Sheldon and Shaeim fought the other men, and a police officer, Pc Mort, tried to intervene. Sheldon allegedly possessed a stun gun, and they allegedly hit the officer, causing the situation to escalate rapidly.
Shakeil repeatedly lunged at Mr. Isaac with the knife, but the victim successfully dodged the blows. Mr. Isaac pulled away just in time, narrowly avoiding being stabbed in a very close call.
During the chaos, Ms. Maximen fell as Mr. Isaac bumped into her while dodging the knife. She got caught up in the unfolding events, and Shakeil stumbled over her but regained his balance as the situation unfolded quickly.
As Ms. Maximen got back to her feet, she grabbed Shakeil’s coat, pulled it, and tried to hit him. Shakeil then stabbed her in the groin, leading to fatal injuries.
After she fell back to the ground, Shakeil and his brothers ran away. Hundreds of people were nearby on or near the route, and Shakeil supposedly got rid of the knife later.
Mr. Brown stated that the weapon was shocking, awful to own, and even worse to use. He stated that Shakeil used it and killed Cher Maximen. The three Thibou brothers have denied the charges, and the trial proceeds.