The mother of a murder victim who was stabbed to death in Knightsbridge has accused Sadiq Khan of ‘celebrating’ London’s falling homicide rates while her ‘beautiful boy lies in his grave’.
Blue Stevens, 24, was knifed in broad daylight outside the £1,650-a-night five-star Park Tower Hotel and Casino, which is opposite the Harvey Nichols department store in central London, on July 9.
More than six months have passed but the killer – whom murder detectives believe could have stabbed the father-of-two in a ‘targeted attack’ – is still at large.
As mystery surrounds the brazen murder, the Metropolitan Police this week released figures which showed homicide in London has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade. There was just over one unlawful killing (1.07) per 100,000 people last year.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley paid tribute to the results of ‘relentless work’ to drive down violent crime in the capital, while Mayor of London Mr Khan said ‘even the harshest critics of London would have to accept these figures are remarkable’.
It comes amid a long-running spat between Mr Khan and US President Donald Trump, who last year accused the mayor of doing a ‘terrible job’ and said ‘crime in London is through the roof’.
But the ‘celebrations’ from Mr Rowley and Mr Khan have provoked a furious response from the family of murder victim Blue, whose brazen killer is still at large and may have fled the country.
Charlie Sheridan, Blue’s mother, told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s an absolute insult. I am furious watching them all giving each other a pat on the back whilst my beautiful boy lies in his grave.’
Blue Stevens with his son. He was stabbed outside the £1,650-a-night 5-star Park Tower Hotel and Casino, which is directly across the road from the Harvey Nichols department store in central London, on July 9
Charlie Sheridan, Blue’s mother, said it was an ‘insult’ that Sadiq Khan was ‘celebrating’ London’s falling homicide rates. Pictured: Blue with his mother Charlie
The victim had two children, including a little girl (pictured together)
The murder scene outside the Park Tower Casino in London’s Knightsbridge in July last year
The grieving mother added: ‘Is Sadiq Khan really bragging about the murder rate in London?
‘Are they really celebrating the fabulous news about the number of murderers this last year. One murder is too many. How f***ing dare they?
‘When the news broke about what happened to my son, Sadiq Khan refused to comment on any of it. He did not acknowledge what had happened to my son at all, not one word from him.’
Mr Khan had reacted to the latest homicide figures by saying many people had ‘been trying to talk London down’.
‘Whether it’s President Donald Trump, whether it’s politicians concentrated in Europe, this country, or other parts of the world, I can understand why they hate London,’ the mayor said.
‘We are diverse, we are progressive, we are liberal, we are successful, but even the harshest critics of London would have to accept these figures are remarkable.’
Meanwhile, Mr Rowley said: ‘The results speak for themselves – fewer lives lost, fewer families shattered.
‘Every murder is a tragedy, but we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to drive down serious violence.
‘This work will not stop, and neither will our determination to keep Londoners safe.’
There were 97 such deaths in 2025, an 11 per cent reduction on 2024 (109), according to the new data.
This represents the lowest total since 2014 (95 deaths), with London’s population having risen by more than half a million since then.
And it works out at 1.07 homicides per 100,000 residents – the lowest rate since comparable data was first collected in 1997, when the figure was 2.38.
The figures also show a particularly stark reduction in violent deaths involving victims under-25, with just 18 last year, compared with the previous record of 31 in 2024.
It was at its highest in 2017, when 69 young people were killed.
Meanwhile the number of murders in London has also reduced, with 93 in 2025, at the lowest rate since 2014.
Scotland Yard said officers have arrested roughly an extra 1,000 criminals every month over the last year.
They have also made more than 21,000 ‘disruptions’ against serious and organised crime groups and individuals during that time, taking thousands of guns and knives from London’s streets.
Detectives are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry into Blue’s death, including whether the murder was a botched attempted watch robbery as he was wearing a gold timepiece when he was attacked.
Blue and his friend were on their way to have dinner at Nusr-Et, the steakhouse run by celebrity chef Salt Bae, when the attacker intercepted them just yards away from the restaurant.
A nearby hotel worker previously told the Daily Mail the pair were walking along the pavement when the knifeman stabbed Blue in the chest before his friend desperately tried to save him.
On July 14, five days after Blue’s death, the Met Police announced they had arrested three men in their 20s in connection with the murder.
Blue’s sister shared this image and tribute, showing him wearing one of his beloved watches
Blue’s partner left flowers at the scene of his murder and said: ‘We are absolutely devastated without you. You took a piece of my heart with you. A part of me has gone with you’
Two were detained at an address in Hounslow – one on suspicion of murder and another on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. A third man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. All three were bailed and no further arrests or charges have come.
The Mail previously revealed how the suspected murderer allegedly fled the country on fake documents within hours of knifing Blue.
Ms Sheridan claimed on Facebook in August: ‘They [police] know who did it. He left the country on fake documents hours afterwards. Gone. Makes me sick to my stomach.’
Ms Sheridan has posted a series of emotional tributes to Blue since his tragic death, which came just days before his 25th birthday on July 29.
The family gave Blue an emotional send-off on August 8, driving his body past his grandparents’ house and through Yateley.
In one post the night before the funeral, Ms Sheridan wrote: ‘Going to bed knowing that I’ve got to bury my child tomorrow. Oh my god. This can’t be real. This can’t be true. Please god. Not my handsome blue boy.’
In another, she said: ‘Whoever took my son’s life took mine as well.’
And in a third, she wrote: ‘I was robbed. We have all been robbed. Not just of him, but of who we were before. Still no one paying for what they took.’
Blue is from a family of famous boxers. His grandfather was celebrated heavyweight Les Stevens, who won bronze at the 1970 Commonwealth Games.
Stevens went on a 15-fight winning streak as a professional before retiring in 1979. In his career he had 23 wins and just five defeats.
Les then devoted 40 years of his life to training boxers.
The tent showing where Blue was stabbed outside the Park Tower casino in Knightsbridge
Blue’s BMW X3 was parked just 100 metres away and was cordoned off behind police tape
The Park Tower Hotel and Casino is next door to Nusr-Et (pictured), the steakhouse run by celebrity chef Salt Bae. Blue was on his way to have dinner here when he was stabbed just yards away
Police swarmed the exclusive area at just before 9.30pm
Friends said Blue loved buying the ‘sparkliest’ watches he could find.
The Metropolitan Police are probing whether the incident was a targeted attack and said the theft of his watch remains a line of inquiry.
In their most recent statement, Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah, who leads policing in Central West London, said: ‘These arrests mark a significant milestone in this complex and unfolding murder investigation.
‘We continue to progress at pace. While we retain an open mind around motive, one line of enquiry is now that this may have been a targeted attack.
‘Increased police patrols remain active in and around the Knightsbridge area. Please do speak with an officer if you have any questions or concerns.’
