Murdered teenager was 'too ashamed' to go to the police over his coercive girlfriend

A teenage boy who was stabbed to death by his abusive girlfriend felt “too ashamed” to go to police over his treatment, his mother has revealed.

- EMILY ATKINSON

Kamila Ahmad, 24, from Mitcham, fatally stabbed 19-year-old Tai McDonnell from Croydon, south London, on 3 March 2021. She was sentenced to a minimum of 23 years at Croydon Crown Court earlier this month, convicted of murder as well as grievous bodily harm for the attack on a previous boyfriend.

Her claims of self-defence were rejected by the court who heard she left Mr O’Donnell bleeding to death on a sofa and failed to call an ambulance. Ahmad already had 11 convictions to her name when she murdered Mr McDonnell, including battery, robbery and assault, The Times reports.

His mother Stacey O’Donnell told the newspaper of how the relationship between the pair saw Mr McDonnell become increasingly isolated and withdrawn.

Ms O’Donnell said: “I’d seen his stress. But I made the wrong assumption that it was just an average toxic relationship. There was nothing average about it. It was serious abuse. My son did not want to die.”