class="bigteaserpic"'Ruth was always sticking up for people' Sep 13 2005


Exclusive By Paul Rhys, South London Press
[align=left]THE distraught dad of a teenage girl stabbed to death in a brutal mob attack has spoken of his grief.[/align] [align=left]Ruth Okechukwu, 18, died in hospital after she was stabbed in the heart in Boundary Lane, Walworth, on Sunday afternoon.[/align] [align=left] [/align] [align=left]The pastor's daughter had suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest, throat, wrist and hand in the horrific attack.[/align] [align=left]Locals have said up to seven teenagers set upon the PE student in the street.[/align] [align=left]Yesterday, her father, Pastor Ben Okechukwu, 59, paid tribute to his "friendly and intelligent daughter" and appealed for witnesses to help police find her killers.[/align] [align=left]Mr Okechukwu said: "She was always sticking up for people and this is what I think has caused her murder.[/align] [align=left]"She was as a born leader and was very masculine, as big and tall as myself.[/align] [align=left]"She was friendly, intelligent and clever, and always very sympathetic to other people."[/align] [align=left]The pastor, who preaches at Celestial Church in Glengall Road, Peckham, called on Ruth's friends to assist the police.[/align] [align=left]He said: "The last time I saw her was in the morning. She was going to church in Woolwich. I gave her £10 to get there.[/align] [align=left]"The last words she ever said to me were, 'Thank you, Dad'.[/align] [align=left]"I have been swamped with people calling and visiting. She had so many friends.[/align] [align=left]"What they need to do for us is bring up some information. Someone has the knowledge about why she died.[/align] [align=left]"It is not as if she was out clubbing and there was a fight in the club, she was in the street and it was broad daylight."[/align] [align=left]Ruth's brother, Moses, 29, paid tribute to his younger sister who was a former pupil of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Secondary School in Camberwell.[/align] [align=left]He said: "She was a vibrant girl. She could light up a room and make everyone laugh.[/align] [align=left]"Her heart was too big sometimes. People can see kindness as weakness. She was not weak."[/align] [align=left]Police and paramedics rushed to the scene of the stabbing just after 5.30pm on Sunday evening.[/align] [align=left]Ruth, a B-Tec student at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College, Baron's Court, west London, was rushed to King's College Hospital in Camberwell but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.[/align] [align=left]As well as her dad and brother Moses, she leaves mum Pauline, a brother Gabriel and sister Beatrice.[/align] [align=left]Detectives from the Specialist Crime Directorate South based in Lewisham have opened an incident room.[/align] [align=left]Southwark police Borough Commander Ian Thomas has described the murder as tragic.[/align] [align=left]He said: "Officers will do whatever is necessary to bring the people that did this to justice."[/align] [align=left]Anyone with information should call the incident room on 020 8721 4909.
[/align] [align=left]
R.I.P. What is worrying me is that I am almost getting desentitised(spelling) by all these shenanigans. The deatails are sketchy but from listening to radio it seems as though she might have rejected some guy and he took exception to it. Either way its madness
[/align]