Jodie Chesney was knifed as she laughed and joked with her boyfriend and pals in Romford, East London by a teen killer 'who didn't say a word'
A GIRL Scout was stabbed in the back as she listened to music with friends in the park in a "random" attack, police revealed last night.
Jodie Chesney, 17, was knifed to death as she laughed and joked with her boyfriend and four pals in Romford, East London, on Friday night.
Police last night revealed Jodie’s teenage killer and an accomplice marched up to her without saying a word before plunging the knife into her back as she sat on a bench.
The two masked suspects then ran off while her devastated boyfriend Eddie Coyle, 18, "stroked and kissed her face" as she lay bleeding to death.
Heartbroken Mr Coyle yesterday left a card attached to railings yards from where they spent their last moments together that read: “Jodie you are the best thing that could have happened in my life.
"I will love you always and you will forever be in my heart beautiful.”
Jodie's uncle Dave Chesney, a vicar at an East London church, said the family are "devastated" over their loss.
He told ITV News: “This was a totally random and unprovoked attack on a beautiful, lovely and quirky young girl with her whole life in front of her.”
The Metropolitan Police said the group had been aware of two men in the park who left around 9pm without speaking to them.
This was a totally random and unprovoked attack on a beautiful, lovely and quirky young girl with her whole life in front of her
Jodie's uncle
The force added in a statement: "Around 30 minutes later the pair returned to the park and walked straight towards the group, where one of the males stabbed Jodie once in the back."
Nothing was said by the masked men, who ran off in the direction of Retford Road, and heartbroken pals believe she is the victim of mistaken identity. No arrests have been made.
Jodie's devastated friend Lucy Elkin, 18, told : "It was completely unprovoked, they didn't even look her in the eye.”
She added: “She was the child every parent dreamed of having. It shouldn't happen to people like her.”
In another horrific attack over the weekend, Manchester Grammar School pupil Yousef Makki, also 17, was stabbed to death in Hale Barns, Cheshire, on Saturday.
It comes as shocking figures today revealed children with stab wounds has doubled in the past five years and knifepoint robberies have rocketed by 50 per cent.
I will love you always and you will forever be in my heart beautiful
Jodie's boyfriend's tribute
Jodie's mum Claire Gillham was yesterday embraced by loved ones as she lay a bunch of flowers for her daughter.
Her friend Lucy said: “They were just sat there talking and joking, minding their own business. I don’t even think they were drinking.
“The men just walked up behind her and stabbed her in the back senselessly before running away.
“Not a word was said. Nobody knows who they are. They’re not from around here.
"It was completely unprovoked. Everyone is in pieces and can’t process what’s happened or why.”
Another friend said Jodie and Eddie were the “most normal kids ever” and a “world away” from gangs or knives.
They said: “There’s no chance of anything like that. Nothing. It’s not them. If anyone thought that then they made a big mistake.”
It comes after terrified onlookers say they heard rowing in the park before Eddie screamed for help as he begged: "Please, please, stay awake.”
Krystle Pasha, who lives close to the scene of the stabbing, told Sky News she heard arguing and shouting before a "disturbing" scream seconds before the gruesome stabbing.
She said: "I heard a lot of loud arguing, a lot of loud noise, shouting, followed by a really loud scream."
Desperate passers-by had tried to save the teenager after she was knifed so hard in the back by masked thugs the blade became lodged in her body.
But sadly Jodie slipped away in her boyfriend's arms on Friday - her father’s 39th birthday.
Witnesses described hearing “blood-curdling” screams for help from her boyfriend.
Teresa Farenden, 49, who lives opposite the scene, heard the shouts and ran to help.
Breaking down in tears, the mum-of-three said: “It was like being in a horror movie.
The boyfriend was holding her and kissing her face. He was whispering and begging her, ‘Please, please stay awake’
Neighbour Teresa Farenden
“When I got there she was breathing but it was very shallow, she was groaning and there was a slight pulse.
“There was so much blood. I told the ambulance lady, ‘She needs a blood transfusion, make sure they bring blood’.
“We tried to compress the wound to stop the bleeding but there was just so much.
“The boyfriend was holding her and kissing her face. He was whispering and begging her, ‘Please, please stay awake’."
“The ambulance arrived and I told the 999 call handler.
“She asked me to stay on the phone until the crew had reached us on the park. And in that moment the girl died.
“I turned to look at her and my friend, who had come to help, just said, ‘We’ve lost her’.”
Jodie — who lived with her dad Peter and stepmum Joanne in nearby Dagenham — was the 65th teenager to be murdered in the London area in three years.
Friday was Peter’s 39th birthday. Jodie had posted a picture on Instagram of her with him and said “happy birthday Dad”’ — with a smiley face, a heart and some flowers.
Her grandmother Debbie Chesney paid tribute on Facebook as she called for an end to the violence sweeping the UK.
She said: "This was our youngest granddaughter. How have we come to this point where kids can’t have a walk in a park without suffering an unprovoked attack?
"If anyone knows anything about this please contact the police with information. We don’t want anyone else to go through what our family is suffering right now.
";This has to stop, there are too many young people having their lives cut short by needless violence."
Jodie's boyfriend was said to be "in pieces" following the horror.
His mum's partner told the Mail on Sunday: "Jodie was the nicest, loveliest and kindest person you could meet with everything to look forward to in life.
"I don't know how long it will take Eddie to comeback from this.
"To have to witness what he did is devastating."
Jodie was a psychology and sociology student at Havering Sixth Form College.
One relative, who did not want to be named, said: “She was a beautiful, bright girl.
“Everyone is too devastated to speak at this time.”
Jodie had been a ranger guide in the Explorer Scouts — a section of the Scouts for 14-to 18-year-olds. Eddie was also in the Explorer Scouts.
She had met Boris Johnson as part of the group.
In October 2016 she was pictured inside the grounds of Buckingham Palace with fellow Scouts after meeting TV presenter Phillip Schofield.
Relative Clare Palmeri paid tribute to Jodie on Facebook, saying: “She was a sweet, loving, beautiful and smart young lady. “My sister and brother-in-law are devastated by this completely senseless act of violence.”
A page has been launched to help the family with funeral costs.
JODIE’S death means there have been 19 knife killings in Britain this year, with most of them in London:
January 1: Tudor Simionov, 33, in Paddington, and Charlotte Huggins, 33, in Camberwell.
January 8: Jaden Moodie, 14, in Leyton.
January 27: Kamil Malysz, 34, in Acton.
January 29: Nedim Bilgin, 17, was stabbed to death in Islington.
January 29: Lajean Richards, 19, in Battersea.
February 8: Aliny Mendes, 39, in Cheam.
February 10: Dennis Anderson, 39, East Dulwich.
February 17: Mohammed Sidali, 16, in Highgate, Birmingham.
February 18: Bright Akinleye, 22, in Euston.
February 20: Abdullah Muhammad, 16, in Small Heath, Birmingham.
February 21: Glendon Spence, 23, at a youth club in Camden.
February 23: Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck, 19, in Wood Green.
February 23: Phillip Rooney, 32, near Wigan.
February 25: David Lopez-Fernandez, 38, at home in Bethnal Green.
February 25: Connor Brown, 18, in Sunderland.
February 25: Hazrat Umar, 17, in Bordesley Green, Birmingham.
March 2: A 50-year-old woman stabbed to death at home in Barnet.
Jodie's murder happened just a day before Yousef Ghaleb Makki, 17, was stabbed to death in an upmarket Manchester suburb home to a string of millionaire footballers.
The teenager from Burnage was today described as 'clever and caring' after he was killed in an attack at 6.20pm on Saturday night.
Two teens, also 17, were arrested on suspicion of murder following the attack.
