Raish Ahmed’s family speaks out

The family of a man who was murdered by his neighbour say he was “failed by London”, criticising a lack of action by authorities to protect him.

Raish Ahmed, 50, was repeatedly stabbed outside his block of flats in east London in October last year by Daniel Whybrow, 46, in front of horrified neighbours in a dispute over the main communal door being left open.

Last week, Whybrow was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court to life with a minimum term of 24 years after being convicted of murder and causing grievous bodily harm.

Mr Ahmed’s family and neighbours say they had complained for months over Whybrow’s aggressive and anti-social behaviour and that the police and council should have done more.

Mohammad Hasan, a friend and neighbour of Mr Ahmed, described him as “a wonderful person” and a loving and dedicated father.

“He was very friendly, jolly, happy, he was spreading joy.”

Mr Ahmed and his family moved in to their block of flats in Hartingdon Road in Canning Town in 2020, after coming to the UK from Bangladesh in 2015.

He juggled two jobs, working as a security guard at the Victoria and Albert Museum and as an Uber driver, and was also a carer for his wife.

“He would work night shifts, then in the morning, when he came home, he took his sons to the school and cooked food and went to bed for a couple of hours, then he’d go and pick up the kids,” said Mr Hasan.

“I’ve never seen him complain.”

He said Mr Ahmed was popular in the local community, always welcoming to everyone.

Whybrow, on the other hand, was described at his sentencing by Judge Murray Shanks as “anything but a good neighbour” who had behaved in an “extremely territorial and aggressive way”.

The court was told of a previous incident, in July, where Whybrow called police after a row with another family in the road, but found him being abusive towards them.

Mohammad Hasan described Whybrow as “arrogant” and said some neighbours were scared of him.

“If we say ‘good morning’, no response, nothing. He was always in a fighting mode. Everyone tried to keep a distance from him.”

Mr Hasan said he had asked Whybrow to keep his music down, which was disturbing other residents in the early hours of the morning, but was ignored and so he complained to the council.

In a letter seen by BBC London, the council told Mr Hasan in April 2024 that the occupant had been given a warning, issued with a tenancy breach order and was being monitored.

The following month, another letter was sent to Mr Ahmed’s family after they also complained, assuring them that they would write to the occupant of the flat to “address the unacceptable behaviour”.

However, residents say the problems continued and further complaints were made.

Mr Hasan said he was surprised on 5 October to get a call from his friend, who sounded “very upset”.

“He said, ‘Can you come, this guy attacked me. I don’t know why, I just closed the main door. He’s threatening me.'”

The door to their communal block of flats was supposed to be kept shut and Mr Ahmed was worried about safety, but Whybrow had pinned the door open while he worked on his bike.

Mr Hasan said he went downstairs and could not see any sign of his friend, but instead saw Whybrow “with a very angry look on him”.

“I said, ‘Are you OK?’ He just looked at me.”

The murder trial heard that Whybrow had threatened Mr Ahmed and he had called 999, fearing for his safety.

“He was scared,” said Mr Hasan, “that’s why he called 999. Police didn’t arrive. Police didn’t take it seriously at that time.”

Mr Hasan said he went back inside, but Mr Ahmed called him again, asking him to come outside so they could talk to Whybrow together.

“I said, ‘Listen, we are neighbours, we need to sort this out, let’s come to an agreement. Because he closed the (communal) door, it doesn’t mean you’re going to attack on him. You can’t do this.'”

He said Whybrow swore and racially abused them as the row turned physical, with Whybrow reaching through his kitchen window to grab a knife.

The men tried to get away, but Mr Ahmed either slipped, or fell, after being hit in the face, before Whybrow repeatedly stabbed him as he lay on the ground.

A 16-year-old boy was also injured as he tried to protect Mr Ahmed.

“The old people, the kids, they were all watching,” said Mr Hasan. “This was all in front of everyone.

“He was swearing, ‘Who’s going to come next? Who’s next?'”

Whybrow was arrested in his flat and the court heard he continued to be aggressive, making racist comments to two Asian police officers.

Mr Ahmed, who had been stabbed in the chest and thigh, died two days later in hospital, with his family and friend by his bedside.

“I was praying to God, maybe some miracle can happen,” said Mr Hasan.

“Sometimes I feel like maybe I’m dreaming, Raish is still alive.”

He said the attack had left him traumatised, but that it had been far worse for Mr Ahmed’s family, who have felt unable to return to living in their home and have been sharing a hotel room.

Whybrow was found guilty at a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court last month of murder and causing grievous bodily harm but was acquitted of racially aggravated assault and threats to kill against Mr Ahmed.

Sentencing Whybrow, Judge Shanks said although he could not say the attack was racially motivated, Whybrow had displayed “racial hostility”.

The court heard Whybrow had previously been convicted of using threatening words and behaviour and of possessing a weapon, and that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after a fatal fire at a block of flats.

In a statement provided to BBC London, Mr Ahmed’s wife Jannatul Mauwa said their family had been left “broken”.

“He was like a bird that kept us wrapped in the shelter of his wings to keep us warm and safe and now we are under the shelter of God. He was kind. He was devoted. He was rare.”

She said that men like him “did not really exist any more”.

“He gave everything he had, and in the end he gave even his life.”

She added that he had been let down by “the police, who ignored warnings; the council, who turned their back on communities” and said London was “a city that lets racism and violence fester in the open”.

“My husband should still be alive. He was murdered by a knife – but he was failed by London.”

Following the murder, local residents held a walk of solidarity in Mr Ahmed’s memory, criticising a lack of action against anti-social behaviour, crime and racism towards the Muslim and Bangladeshi community.

Almost a year on, Mohammad Nuruzzaman from the Darul Arqam Masjid and Muslim Community Centre said there had been “no meaningful improvement” and that many people still felt “unsupported and unprotected”.

Mr Hasan said that neighbours had been left feeling unsafe.

“In the last three months, cars have been stolen, our neighbours’ cars have been vandalised, one car had stabbed tyres.”

He agrees with Mr Ahmed’s family that more should have been done to act on complaints about Whybrow.

“They didn’t take the antisocial reports seriously. If they took it seriously, they could have moved him to different places and this person would not have died.”

A Newham council spokesperson said they take all complaints “extremely seriously” and are “committed to proving clear guidance and support” to residents.

“The tragic loss of Mr Ahmed has undoubtedly caused deep distress and concern within the community, and our thoughts are with everyone affected.

“We want to reassure the family and the wider community that we will continue providing support with compassion, care, and the utmost respect to those affected.”

The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment.