Parents tell of grief after son killed by gang in argument over conkers

Steven Grisales, 21, was attacked as he made his way to Silver Street railway station in Edmonton, north London last Wednesday.

He died the next day from a single stab wound to the heart.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with his murder and appeared in court yesterday.

Speaking from the scene, his mother Jasmid wept as her husband Andres told of their heartbreak.

Mr Grisales said his son was a “great boy” whose brothers and sisters were “devastated”.

The couple appeared near the murder scene in College Close to pay tribute to their eldest child and appeal for witnesses to come forward.

Mr Grisales, who was in Argentina on business when his son was killed, said Steven had been visiting his grandmother and shopping for her before he was attacked.

He said he had done nothing wrong in the run-up to the stabbing.

“He did everything right,” he said. “It wasn’t that he stayed late. It wasn’t that it was late at night.

“He didn’t drink, he didn’t smoke, he wasn’t into any gangs or any large groups.

“His friends and cousin were all professionals, had all finished university.”

Hugging his inconsolable wife to claimed such attacks do not occur in Argentina, where he works, and Colombia, where the family are from.

He said: “It’s incredible that this would happen to him. It is devastating for all of us, the whole family, aunties, cousins, grandma, uncles, back home, it’s been horrible because we don’t get it.

“We don’t understand. Without a reason, without nothing.”

Their son had planned a career in architecture and it is understood he was due to start a course this month as part of a Westminster College scholarship.

Mrs Grisales received a call from police on her son’s mobile phone shortly after the stabbing.

Detective Inspector Richard Beadle appealed for witnesses to come forward and said the victim was involved in an incident “not of his own making”.

He said: “Quite a lot of people have seen that, quite a lot of people have seen what happened and we need to find out exactly who did what, who said what and exactly what that involvement was ... I desperately need those people that saw what happened to come and speak to us because Steven has lost his life totally unnecessarily.”