A man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 24 years after being convicted of murdering his neighbour in a violent knife attack in Canning Town.

Daniel Whybrow, 46, of Hartington Road, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday following a Metropolitan Police investigation.

The victim, 50-year-old Raish Ahmed, was stabbed repeatedly outside his home on 5 October 2024. He died two days later in hospital.

Neighbourhood dispute turned deadly

The court heard the violence erupted after a dispute over the communal entrance door at the block of flats where the two men lived.

Raish reportedly told his wife that Whybrow had tried to attack him earlier that evening. He later returned with a friend, where they encountered Whybrow.

During the confrontation, Whybrow armed himself with a kitchen knife, shouting “I will kill you” before lunging at Raish’s friend. CCTV then captured Whybrow turning on Raish, stabbing him multiple times — even after the victim fell to the ground and tried to defend himself with a steering lock.

A teenage boy who attempted to intervene was also injured in the attack, though his injuries were later assessed as neither life-threatening nor life-changing.

Emergency response and arrest

Neighbours rushed to help fend off Whybrow while paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance treated Raish at the scene before he was taken to hospital.

Whybrow was quickly identified as the suspect and arrested at his flat. He was initially charged with attempted murder, which was upgraded to murder after Raish’s death on 7 October 2024.

Sentencing outcome

Whybrow was found guilty of murder and grievous bodily harm on 22 August. He was sentenced to:

• Life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years for murder
• Six years for grievous bodily harm, to run concurrently

He was acquitted of racially aggravated assault and threats to kill against Raish’s friend.

Police statement

Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend, of the Met’s Specialist Crime Unit, said:

“My thoughts remain with the victim’s family at this difficult time.

I hope the sentencing brings a small measure of peace and justice to them.”