LONDON – A 16-year-old boy named Harry Pitman was fatally stabbed on Primrose Hill, overlooking central London, as crowds gathered to usher in the New Year with fireworks, according to authorities on Monday.
Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Grogan revealed that Pitman was with friends just before midnight when a dispute escalated into a deadly confrontation. Despite efforts to revive him, the young victim succumbed to the injuries.
“He was a young man with the rest of his life ahead of him,” lamented Grogan. “His family are understandably devastated.”
A boy of the same age was swiftly arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in police custody.
Detectives are reaching out to witnesses among the hundreds who had gathered on the hill, adjacent to Regent’s Park. The area, surrounded by affluent residences and in proximity to public housing towers, witnessed the tragic incident.
Primrose Hill, historically known for duels and prize-fights, was scheduled to remain open until 1 a.m. Monday to accommodate the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display along the Thames River, three miles (five kilometers) to the south.
The Royal Parks, responsible for managing Primrose Hill, closed the area on Monday as officers conducted searches for evidence in the grass. A forensics team worked diligently near the location of the stabbing, as the community grapples with the aftermath of this heartbreaking event.