UK:A man who was stabbed to death in Oxford Street this week was facing charges of raping a 16-year-old girl and chemically burning her afterwards to hide the crime, it was revealed yesterday. The Crown Prosecution Service said Steven Bigby (22) from Hackney had also been due to stand trial in June over the stabbing of a man in north London in October 2006.
Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with Bigby's murder. The suspects, aged 18 and 19, are being questioned at an east London police station.
Bigby was murdered outside a McDonald's restaurant near Oxford Circus during the evening rush hour on Monday. A postmortem found he died from a single stab wound to the heart.
Digby had been charged with nine others for the rape of a woman in London in January, a Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman said. He faced a further charge of causing grievous bodily harm by pouring caustic soda on the victim.
Media reports said the chemical was used in an attempt to destroy evidence and caused the 16-year- old severe burns.
Police said Bigby was stabbed after an argument broke out between two groups of men on Oxford Street. A drink was thrown by one of the groups and the "spontaneous" row quickly escalated.
A passing doctor gave Bigby first aid on the pavement after he was stabbed. He was taken to a London hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Knife crime has blighted London in recent months.
Two teenage boys were stabbed in Holloway on Sunday, while 16-year-old Jimmy Mizen was killed in a bakery on Saturday.
London mayor Boris Johnson said he would discuss the "terrible scourge" of knife crime with home secretary Jacqui Smith this week.
- (Reuters)