15 Teenagers have been knifed to death in London since January 2015 (Photos) (Knife Crime 15)

Knife crime has resulted in the death of 15 teenagers in the British capital since January. Here are their stories. And how their lives were cut short by some knife weilding cowards.

Jeremie Malenge, 17, Homerton (Died January 6th 2015) 

The 17-year-old was nicknamed ‘Jdot’, and had worked hard to get good grades at Petchey academy in Hackney. The family came to Britain from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2004, when Malenge was just 11, in the aftermath of the second Congo war. His father, Abubaker Malenge, said he had brought his family to the UK where he believed they would have a better life, saying the way he was killed was the same as the atrocities committed in Somalia, Nigeria and Syria. Malenge died after being stabbed multiple times on Homerton High Street by three teenage boys who have now been jailed for his murder, along with another teenage girl who when prosecuted said acted as an 'inside woman'.

 Bilal Mirza, 18, Queen’s Park 9 (Died January 8th 2015)

Mirza was described as a clever and handsome boy by his family, and said he had a knack for fixing computers and dreamed of becoming a full-time games designer. The 17-year-old, whom friends called Belal, was close to finishing his ICT diploma at City of Westminster college and planned to study computing at university. One of his teachers at Paddington academy described him as his favourite student and said he was 'straying but had ambition and a great heart'. In July, a 16-year-old schoolboy was convicted of manslaughter after stabbing Mirza in the thigh with a kitchen knife two miles from his home. Just six months before Mirza’s death, his friend Basel Aghabra was also stabbed to death, reportedly after a row about £20.

Isaiah Ekpaloba, 18, Hackney (Died January 9th 2015)

Known as 'Profit' or 'Prof', Ekpaloba was a talented rapper and actor, who had toured schools as part of the company from Chicken Shed Theatre, warning pupils about the dangers of knife crime. His mother, Grace, described his life as full of promise, 'a well-liked boy who loved being the centre of attention'. The family are hoping to raise enough money for his headstone by hosting a music festival of young talent in his memory this weekend. Jaydee Dorsett, 20, was jailed for Ekpaloba’s murder earlier this year, after the teen was involved in a botched robbery

Shaquan Sammy-Plummer, 17, Enfield (Died January 30th 2015)

The teenager from Finsbury Park, whose favourite school subject was maths, was taking A-Levels at Camden’s LaSWAP sixth form, and had offers from five different universities for September. He was working part-time in Waitrose, and had a full social life, popular with girls from his college, his mother said. Hundreds attended the teen’s funeral, as well as Jeremy Corbyn, with many wearing orange, Sammy-Plummer’s favourite colour. In June, family and friends organised what will be an annual football tournament in his memory.

Alan Cartwright, 15, Islington (Died February 27th 2015)

The schoolboy known as ‘Little Al’ who adored cycling, Irn Bru and Celtic FC had a white 'ghost bike' and the green-and-white-striped jerseys at the shrine built for him by grieving relatives and friends in the spot where he was killed on Caledonian Road, north London. In a school assignment he wrote before his death, exploring issues of identity, Cartwright wrote of an ambition to join the army cadets, playing football in the park and going out with his friends on their bikes. 'I realise that now I am getting older but I still need to grow up a lot more. When I was younger I used to get into trouble a lot but not now. Maybe my education and army cadets can help [me] become more mature and stay out of trouble. This will make me my mum and dad very happy.” His killer, Joshua Williams, was on police bail for possessing a knife. The 18-year-old stabbed Cartwright to death as he tried to steal his bike, and was jailed for life in September.

Nathan Murray, 18, Sydenham(Died June 2nd 2015)

Murray was friends with the Lewisham grime MC and producer Novelist, who called him by his nickname ‘Herbs’. The 18-year-old’s teacher said he had loved performing arts and called him a 'tiny little thing filled with character and a cheeky smile that everybody loved'. Marley Lucas, 21, has been charged with murder and the trial is ongoing at the Old Bailey. Lucas denies the offence. 

Stefan Appleton, 17, Islington (Died June 10th 2015)

The Islington teen had 'a broad smile and an easygoing personality”, his former headteacher at St Mary Magdalene academy said. Relatives said he had played drums at school concerts, and was making plans to go to college to study plumbing. His uncle Donald Appleton said Stefan had been devoted to his 93-year-old grandmother Virginia, always doing her shopping for her. Appleton’s cousin Victor has started a campaign and a 38 degrees petition aimed at the London mayor, Boris Johnson, asking for tougher punishments for repeat offenders and more support for communities to tackle youth crime without fear of retribution. Two teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been charged with his murder, with the trial adjourned until February.

Shaquan Fearon, 17, Brockley (Died September 3rd 2015)

The lifelong Arsenal fan was described by his football team Hillyfielders FC as having a natural talent for the game. The club said Fearon had played for them since he was just 10. 'His natural footballing ability quickly earning him a place in every starting line up,' it said in a statement. 'Always a joy to watch, Shaquan brought his own sense of style and humour to the pitch.' Fearon was due to start studying business at Lewisham college the week after he died, with relatives describing him as talented and ambitious. Two 15-year-olds have been charged with his murder after Fearon was stabbed at a south London block of flats. They are awaiting trial.   

Marcel Addai, 17, Hoxton (Died September 4th 2015)

The teenager was big fan of Arsenal, and played in defence for his school football team. His grandmother June said Addai was a cheeky little boy who had grown up to be a considerate young man. He loved watching comedies at the cinema, but was also a keen reader, especially of newspapers. Addai had hoped to go to university, study IT, and eventually become a youth worker in his area. The teenager was close to his family, protective of his eight-year-old sister, who he walked to school and back, and helped with her homework every night. 'He had a heart of gold, he always put his family first,' she said. The 17-year-old was reportedly chased by up to 15 people on his east London estate, where he died of stab wounds, with seven men now charged with his murder. 

Mohammed Dura-Ray, 16, Elephant and Castle (Died September 15th 2015)

Dura-Ray, a passionate Manchester United fan, was nicknamed 'Moe' and studied for his GCSEs at Walworth academy. Living on south London’s Ayslesbury estate, he loved playing football, friends said, and had ambitions to study IT at Westminster college. The teen’s family had fled wartorn Sierra Leone in 2004, hoping for a better life in the UK. Now, his aunt believes, he would have been safer if he had stayed in west Africa. ‘There’s no knife crime back home,' his aunt told the Mail after his death. 'We have a saying in our country: it takes one person to have a child, it takes a whole village to bring up a child. Here it’s not the same, we are scared of our children.' Jordan Daley, 20, has been charged with Dura-Ray’s murder.

Usaama Ali, 17, Acton (Died October 16th 2015)

The former Acton High pupil was sociable and bright, with a particular love and talent for basketball, helped by his 6ft 3in stature, friends said after his death. His family had left their home in Somalia for Oslo, where Ali was born, but eventually moved to Britain hoping for better schooling. Though Ali had recently been excluded from school, he wanted to stay in education and do a degree in sociology, his family said. His mother told the Standard that her son had studied at home for his GCSEs, but now planned to leave London behind and move to Cairo to live with family friends, in order to continue his studies. 'This was his big chance and he was ready to take it,' she said. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with Ali’s murder. 

Alfie Stone, 18, West Ruislip (Died November 9th 2015)

Stone had played centre forward for his school football team at Pield Heath House in Uxbridge, an academy for pupils with special needs, and was passionate about both playing the sport and his team, Chelsea. Friends flooded his Facebook page with tributes to the popular teen, who is seen posing in pictures with a vast collection of trucker caps, calling him a cheeky young boy who had made his friends and relatives laugh with his mischief. Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murdering Stone, who was killed after being stabbed in the chest near West Ruislip tube station during the Monday rush hour. 

Che Labastide-Wellington, 17, Kenton (Died November 8th 2015)

The second-year business studies student was at West Herts college in Watford. 'He would always be early for lessons and worked hard, he wanted to be a businessman,' a friend told the Voice. 'He was always there to make you smile and he had a great sense of humour.' On a fundraising page set up by friends in his memory, he was described as a funny, loving and caring friend. 'I am going to miss seeing him drinking his KA drink, always eating starburst sweets and sucking his thumb like a one-year-old,' the friend wrote. Wellington had been at a 16th birthday party, where friends were dancing to a DJ in a marquee outside in the garden, when he was found with stab wounds outside the house. Two men have been charged with his murder, with 13 people arrested in total. 

Vasilaki Kakko, 17, Islington (Died November 23rd 2015)

Kakko, whose family had moved from Albania to Britain, had finished his GCSEs at St Mary Magdalene academy in 2014 and was doing an apprenticeship in administration at the estate agent where his brother Bruno also worked. 'He loved going out a lot, he was not a stay-at-home type,' his brother told the Evening Standard. 'He was just a lovely, nice guy who was always happy and smiley and loved playing around a lot. He was always very generous to his friends and family.' Friends remembered ‘Vaso’ as a joker at school – 'making funny faces to us in class'. Uchechukwu Ejimonye, 20, has been charged with Kakko’s murder.

Gary Scott, 17, Finsbury Park (Died December 1st 2015)

The college student, originally from Tottenham, was nicknamed 'GJ' and was studying mechanics, after leaving Grieg City academy in Hornsey. A family friend told the Standard he had taken his studies very seriously, spending time researching his subject outside of college hours. The family had recently moved out of Tottenham to live in leafy Woodford Green, and Scott had only travelled back into north London for a friend’s 18th birthday party. His aunt Melissa told the BBC her nephew was 'a lovely kid and he never gave anyone any trouble... he was a quiet boy'. Two men, Adrian Carpenter, 30 and Jermaine Reid, 27, have been charged with murder after Scott was stabbed close to a basketball court on a quiet road in the north London suburb.

Painful to be reading this. This is a stark reality of the effect of knife crime in the capital. Remember this statistics are just for London alone. There have been stabbing reported in major cities  of the UK such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Scotland, Manchester etc.

Also there have been reported stabbing of adults in London especially in North West London. These stabbings were excluded form this list. Remember the latest being at Leyton tube station where a man was brutally knifed in an unprovoked attack while the attacker shouted " This is for Syria" and a witness replied him "U aint Muslim bruv" which has since gone viral on social media.

#SAYNOTOKNIFECRIME

Pictures culled from Guardian UK.