Carnival murder victim's family hope life term 'will act as a deterrent'

NOTTING HILL KILLER WILL SERVE AT LEAST 29 YEARS

- By CHRIS BALLINGER, GEORGE LITHGOW and EMILY PENNINK

AS the man who fatally stabbed a young mother in front of her three-year-old daughter during the Notting Hill Carnival begins his life sentence for murder, her grieving family have said that they hope it acts as a deterrent.

Shakeil Thibou, 20, stabbed Cher Maximen, 32, at the carnival's family day on August 25 last year.

At his trial, Judge Philip Katz KC said Thibou's “brazen” attack had been carried out in broad daylight in front of families and the police.

Speaking outside court after the sentencing on May 16, Ms Maximen’s family said “no sentence is long enough” for her killer.

Her sister TJ Jacobs added: “We are glad that justice has been served. We hope that it acts as a deterrent to people that choose to come along to any occasion or any event and act so recklessly and without thought in situations that can lead to just such catastrophic events.”

Asked about Ms Maximen’s daughter, her grandmother Vyleen Maximen said she is “growing up lovely”.

She added: “She's happy. She's smiling constantly. We don’t forget about her mummy. We speak about her mum all the time. She's thriving, she’s got her village around her, her community... she’s doing well.”

Thibou, who wore a medical face mask and blue beanie hat in the dock, looked straight ahead as he was told he would serve a minimum of 29 years in prison.

Moments before he stabbed Ms Maximen, he had carried out an “equally horrifying attack” on a man who was backing away from him, the jury at the Old Bailey heard.