Man, 60, who ‘stabbed his colleague to death in Oxford Street’ appears in court charged with murder
A man has been charged with murder following a fatal stabbing in a side road near Oxford Street in central London.
Li Hunan, 60, of Woodfield Gardens, New Malden, south London, appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with murder.
The case was sent for trial at the Old Bailey, where Hunan is scheduled to appear on September 14.
Only a Crown court judge can decide on bail when the charge is murder.
At 11.40am on Monday, police were called to reports of a stabbing in Poland Street.
Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance, who found a 58-year-old man with stab wounds.
Despite efforts to save him, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12.20pm.
He has been named as Li Sung, of Southwark, south London, and his next of kin have been informed.
The victim and the man accused of the Poland Street killing are understood to have both worked at the Arirang Korean restaurant, according to police sources.
The victim and the man accused of the Poland St murder are understood to have both worked at the Arirang Korean restaurant, according to police sources. Pictured: a man being arrested in relation to the murder of a man being stabbed to death off Oxford Street
Pictured: Police arresting a man whose ‘colleague’ was stabbed to death in a Korean restaurant on a side-road off Oxford Street in the heart of London’s West End on Monday
A man was stabbed to death at a Korean restaurant in a side-road off Oxford Street at the heart of London’s West End on Monday – to the horror of passing shoppers. Pictured, police cordon off Poland Street
Armed police and ambulance services rushed to Arirang Restaurant on Poland Street, Soho (location is pictured), shortly before midday on Monday, and found a man with knife wounds, to the horror of passing shoppers
A woman was seen breaking down in tears and knelt on the ground after arriving at the Korean restaurant, which claims to be the first in the UK having opened in 1975.
Workers on Poland Street, where the attack took place, said they believe two chefs were involved in an argument.
Another onlooker said: ‘I saw two men outside the Korean restaurant arguing. They were really shouting at each other.
‘I couldn’t hear what they were saying but they appeared to be Korean. Then they both went inside.’
A man who came out of the nearby Brewdog bar wearing the pub’s uniform said: ‘I just came out and saw a man on the floor and the police were handcuffing someone else.
‘Then they put one of those bags over him.’
Another Brewdog worker said: ‘The police turned up with guns and closed the street, and ambulances, but we didn’t see anything before that.’
Police and ambulance services rushed to the Arirang Restaurant on Poland Street (seen on the left of the first white van) shortly before midday on Monday
Armed police and ambulance services rushed to Arirang Restaurant on Poland Street, Soho, shortly before midday, and found a man with knife wounds. Pictured, forensics at the scene
A Met Police spokesman said: ‘Police were called to reports of a stabbing in Poland Street at At 11:40am.
‘Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance.
‘A man was found with stab wounds. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services he was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:20pm.
‘A man has been arrested in connection with the incident.’
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 11.36am today to reports of a stabbing in Poland Street, central London.
‘We sent an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer to the scene.
A police officer stands guard near the scene of the stabbing, which happened on Poland Street shortly before midday on Monday
Pedestrians gathered behind a police cordon near the scene of the reported stabbing on Poland Street, a side road near Oxford Street, central London
‘We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance. Our first paramedic arrived in less than seven minutes.
‘Despite the best efforts of our teams, the patient sadly died at the scene.’
Monday’s stabbing brough the total number of homicides in the capital this year to 57.
A spokesperson for the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ‘The mayor’s thoughts are with the friends and family of the victim following this appalling attack in our city [on Monday].
‘A man has been arrested and the mayor remains in close contact with the Met police about the incident.
‘Each death through violence in London is a tragedy, which is why the mayor’s top priority will always be tackling crime as well as the complex causes of crime.’
