Man, 19, in court charged with murder of Antoin Akpom

A teenager has appeared in court charged with the murder of Antoin Akpom.

Abdul Hakim, (19), of Wood Hill, Spinney Hills, Leicester, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address during the five-minute hearing at Leicester Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Hakim is accused of murdering of 20-year-old Mr Akpom, who was found injured in Kent Street, Highfields, Leicester, last Thursday and later died.

Hakim did not enter a plea to the charge.

After the hearing, Hakim, wearing jeans, a white T-shirt and a blue sweat top, was remanded back into custody and will appear at Leicester Crown Court next month.

Relatives of Mr Akpom, who was a coach of a youth football team at Hamilton's Leicester Nirvana FC, were in the public gallery of the courtroom during the hearing.

They were also at the opening of an inquest later in the day which heard how Mr Akpom died from a single stab wound.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Cure told the hearing at Leicester Town Hall that officers were called to Kent Street at 5.38pm on Thursday, where they found Mr Akpom in the street.

He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary but died at 6.57pm.

Det Chief Insp Cure said a post-mortem examination had revealed the cause of Mr Akpom's death was a single stab wound.

The officer said Mr Akpom, who was born in London, was formally identified by his father, Ikenna Akpom.

Coroner Catherine Mason told Mr Akpom's mother, Cheryl Armatrading, his fianceé, Amba Riley, and other members of the family who were at the hearing: "Unfortunately, the circumstances we have here prevent me from giving Antoin back to you so that you can have the funeral and put him to rest.

"The police are working as expeditiously and diligently as they can so that I can give you Mr Akpom back as soon as is lawfully possible.

"You have my promise we will give him back to you as soon as possible."

She adjourned the inquest to a later date.

After the inquest, Mr Akpom's mother Cheryl Armatrading paid tribute to her son.

She said: "Antoin was a lovely caring son, father, brother and partner.

"He did so much in the local community that everyone who knew him loved him.

"He used football to bring people together. It did not matter who you were or what your beliefs or culture were, he just wanted to bring joy.

"I would like to say thank you to the community and beyond, because people have been so kind and so supportive to us as a family.

"I only want positive things to come out after Antoin's death. Part of me still can't believe what has happened or that he has gone.

"He might have been taken from us forever, but he will live forever in our hearts."

Meanwhile, police are still investigating whether there is a link between the death of Mr Akpom and the deaths of a mother and her three children, whose bodies were found by firefighters who attended a blaze at a house in Wood Hill, Spinney Hills, in the early hours of Friday.

The fire, which occurred a few hours after Mr Akpom was assaulted, claimed the lives of Shehnila Taufiq and her children Zainab, 19, Bilal, 17, and Jamal 15.

A 49-year-old man who was arrested as part of the murder investigation into the fatal house fire at Wood Hill, Leicester, was yesterday released from custody on bail.

Police were yesterday applying to magistrates for further time to question an 18-year-old arrested as part of the inquiry.

Three women, aged 19, 20 and 27, who were arrested as part of the investigation were released on bail on Monday.

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