A teenage boy who was stabbed to death in front of thousands of witnesses on New Year’s Eve has been named as 16-year-old Harry Pitman. Pi...
A teenage boy who was stabbed to death in front of thousands of witnesses on New Year’s Eve has been named as 16-year-old Harry Pitman.
Pitman was attacked during celebrations at Primrose Hill in Camden at 11:40pm on Sunday night, where scores of people had gathered to watch the fireworks display.
The Met raced to the scene and waded through huge crowds of partygoers to reach the teen, but they were unable to get to him in time and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A man has been arrested and taken into custody, the force said.
Police are appealing to the public for information on the stabbing, and a cordon is in place around the crime scene as officers continue to investigate the murder.
Forensics teams arrived later in the day and a forensics tent could be seen at the crest of the park, while litter from Sunday night’s festivities littered the hillside.
The force said Harry had been with a group of friends near the viewing platform at Primrose Hill to celebrate the new year and officers believed he was then involved in an ‘altercation with devastating consequences’.
Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Grogan, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘My thoughts and sympathies are with Harry’s family and friends at this difficult time. He was a young man with the rest of his life ahead of him.
Cordon
Dog walkers and other passersby have been turned away from the park (Picture: SWNS)
‘His family are understandably devastated and specially trained officers are supporting them as they come to terms with their loss.
‘A dedicated team of detectives are working hard to establish the events that led to such a senseless act of violence. We are reviewing CCTV footage from the area and are carrying out a forensic examination of the scene.’
Primrose Hill is a popular spot for people watching the fireworks on New Year’s Eve, and police said it was busy at the time of the incident.
One local woman, who didn’t want to be named, said there were ‘hundreds if not thousands’ of people there at the time of the attack.
She said it was ‘absolutely tragic and shocking’ that a teenager could be killed on her doorstep, adding: ‘It’s not just a young people’s party – there would have been families with young children there, too.
‘It would have been rammed. It’s not just locals – people come from miles around.’
Several others said they saw police searching revellers before they were allowed to leave the park, forming queues which took a long time to clear.
Another local, who wished not to be named, described the incident as ‘tragic but inevitable’, explaining he had made ‘hundreds’ of complaints to police about anti-social behaviour in the park.
He said it had become a ‘party hotspot’ with drugs and alcohol since the pandemic.
Gina Germano, a mother of two teenage boys who were at Primrose Hill at the time of the attack, said she had ‘warned’ them about gangs there, explaining it had become ‘rough’ since 2020.
The Met is asking anyone with information about the stabbing to come forward.
