17 year-olds accused of stabbing chef Krzysztof

Three teenagers have been charged with the murder of Krzysztof Rusek, a Polish chef who worked at the Ibis Hotel on Lillie Road.

Krzysztof, who had been in Britain for eight years and lived in Willesden, was celebrating his 30th birthday with his girlfriend and three male friends on a nearby patch of grass after finishing work at midnight.

After buying some drinks, the friends were sitting on the grass area, on the edge of West Kensington Estate, when a group of four to five men tried to rob them.

After stabbing Krzysztof, the robbers ran off, having stolen just £12. One of his friends was also stabbed in the leg, but was saved when the robber's knife hit his wallet.

After carrying out a dawn raid on Friday morning, police arrested four teenagers. Three of them, all aged 17 were subsequently charged and were due to appear in court on Monday.

Police say they were called to the murder scene around 1.50am. The victim was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced dead just after 6am.

The murder is being investigated by Homicide and Serious Crime Command. Last week, Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola said: "This is a tragic waste of a young life, especially as Krzysztof was out celebrating his 30th birthday at the time.

" What started out as good natured night out with his girlfriend and colleagues has ended horrifically for the sake of a small sum of money."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Incident Room on 020 8721 4005 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

June 14, 2011