Rapper's parents call for more public bleed kits after son stabbed to death at Notting Hill Carnival

25 August 2023, 16:01

By EJ Ward

Grieving parents of a rapper fatally stabbed at Notting Hill Carnival call for more publicly accessible bleed control kits, as £20K reward offered for information leading to conviction over son's death.

The parents of Takayo Nembhard, who was stabbed to death at the Notting Hill Carnival last year have called for more publically available bleed control kits.

Speaking to LBC his mother Sandra Nembhard said she believes the outcome for her son could have been different if there was

She told LBC Reporter Charlotte Lynch: she would "suggest that the police either carry a stab kit, or have them dotted all over, for easy access, in case this happens to somebody else, hopefully another life is not lost so this can be dealt with at the scene."

In 2019 hundreds of London bars rolled out the measure using kits from the Daniel Baird Foundation.

The charity Crimestoppers is offering a £20,000 reward for information they receive that leads to a conviction over the death of father-to-be Takayo Nembhard.

Mr Nembhard, 21, also known by his rap name TKorStretch, died in hospital after being stabbed at around 8pm on August 29 2022 in Ladbroke Grove, under the Westway flyover.

A post-mortem examination showed he died from a stab wound to the right groin femoral artery.

Several people have since been arrested in connection with his death but no-one has been charged.

Mr Nembhard, who performed under the name TKorStretch, had been visiting the carnival with his sister and friends, and was in a large crowd when he was attacked under the Westway flyover.

Police pulled him free from the crush and gave him first aid, but he later died in a west London hospital.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as a stab wound to the right groin femoral artery.

Bleed control kits, also known as emergency trauma packs, are similar to first aid kits but include trauma dressings, gauze, chest seals and tourniquets to help stop serious bleeding.

Campaigners say they not only help victims of violent crime, but also those involved in road traffic accidents or workplace accidents, and could be particularly useful in rural areas where ambulance response times are slower.

On average, it takes an ambulance seven minutes to get to patients suffering from stab wounds.

The Bleed Control Kits can help save precious time until paramedics arrive.

Last year the first aid and health response charity St John Ambulance worked with a large range of organisations to install public Access Trauma (PAcT) First Aid Kits in places across the country.

James McNulty-Ackroyd, Head of Clinical Projects at St John Ambulance, said: "Since launching our Public Access Trauma (PAcT) First Aid Kits three years ago, we have been working with MPs, football stadiums and local communities to install these in publicly accessible places across the country.

"Created by experts in medicine, first aid and counter-terrorism policing, PAcT kits are designed to save lives in traumatic emergencies - like stabbings, falls and road traffic collisions. We hope these kits, or to the same standard, will become as commonplace as defibrillators - so everyone will have access to the simple tools needed to help stop a bleed in those first crucial moments."

Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Cochlin, the Metropolitan Police’s lead on homicide, said a trend of unnecessary brutality had been building in recent years, with most of the 69 homicides in the capital this year committed with knives, including large “hunting” weapons and models designed for lethality.

Officers have reported seeing what they describe as an “extraordinarily violent mindset” among some suspects, while the most extreme incidents appear to be influenced by “pack mentality”.

A dedicated page has been set up where witnesses can upload photos and videos of the incident.

Information can also be provided by calling the incident room directly on 020 7175 2206 to speak to an officer, by calling 101 or by tweeting @MetCC quoting 7478/29AUG22.

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling freephone 0800 555 111.