Three men arrested over stabbing of mother at Notting Hill Carnival

Three men have been arrested over the stabbing of a 32-year-old mother at the Notting Hill Carnival which left her in critical condition.

The woman, who attended the family day of the Carnival on Sunday with her young child, was attacked in Golborne Road shortly before 6pm and police officers gave her emergency medical treatment until paramedics arrived.

She was taken to hospital where she remains in critical condition.

The Metropolitan Police said initial inquiries suggest she became “caught up in the middle of an altercation between two groups of men” but it is unclear if they were known to her.

The force said a 20-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and violent disorder while two other men, aged 24 and 22, were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.

All three men were detained on Tuesday morning after officers attended separate addresses in Hammersmith and Fulham and all remain in custody.

Another man, Kamar Williams, 33, has been charged with murder in connection with the stabbing of 53-year-old Derek Thomas last month, after being arrested by officers at the carnival on Monday, the force said.

There were five stabbings at the carnival on Monday and an incident involving a corrosive substance, the Met said, with two of the stabbing victims also left in a critical condition.

Police made 349 arrests over the weekend, including 72 for possession of an offensive weapon, 53 for assault on an emergency worker, and 53 for possession of class B drugs.

There were 61 instances where officers were assaulted, the Metropolitan Police said.

There were also eight stabbings during the two-day event last year, and seven, including a murder, in 2022.

Commander Charmain Brenyah, the Met’s spokesperson for the Notting Hill Carnival, said: “Our thoughts, first and foremost, are with the woman who is fighting for her life in hospital and with her loved ones. She came to Carnival to have fun, with her young child, and was caught up in the most awful violence.

“These arrests are a significant step in the investigation. They are the result of a determined effort by detectives who have worked around the clock to identify, locate and arrest these suspects.

“We should not underestimate how much more difficult those vital early stages of an investigation are when they take place in the context of a busy, crowded event like Carnival.

“I’d also like to acknowledge the incredible work of the officers, including police medics, who arrived so quickly – delivering emergency medical treatment and securing the scene to preserve vital evidence.

“Our investigations into the other incidents over the weekend continue.”