The pedestrian murdered for his Rolex in Knightsbridge was a father-of-two who had been just been for a romantic dinner with his partner, MailOnline can reveal today.
Blue Stevens, 26, died in broad daylight outside the £1,650-a-night 5-star Park Tower Hotel and Casino, which is directly across the road from the Harvey Nichols department store in central London.
His murder came hours after London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan promised a police blitz on crime in the capital, including tackling knife crime and robberies.
Blue’s friends have claimed that he had just been for a ‘posh meal’ when a masked mugger attempted to snatch his gold watch while riding a bike or e-scooter.
He is from a family of famous boxers and was fatally stabbed in the chest when he fought back. His grandfather was celebrated heavyweight Les Stevens, who won bronze at the 1970 Commonwealth Games.
Friends said Blue, from Hampshire, loved buying the ‘sparkliest’ watches he could find and was pictured recently on social media wearing a Datejust 36mm oystersteel and gold Rolex, which is worth £12,250.
MailOnline can reveal he was walking towards his BMW with his girlfriend when he was ambushed outside one of the capital’s most salubrious casinos, next door to Nusr-Et, the steakhouse run by celebrity chef Salt Bae.
The 26-tear-old died at the scene and his partner Tayla Marie, who had fought to save him, laid flowers there this afternoon. Her note said: ‘To my Blue. We are absolutely devastated without you. You took a piece of my heart with you. A part of me has gone with you.
‘I love you more than absolutely anyone in this world. My boy forever and always.’
His mother Charlie took to Facebook and said simply: ‘Please. I want him back’, adding: ‘Everyone in your life will have a last day with you, and you won’t even know when it will be. Cherish them before it’s too late’.
Blue Stevens with his son. He loved watches, his friends said today and revealed that he was walking back to his car with his partner after a meal where he was murdered for his Rolex.
The victim had two children, including a little girl (pictured together)
His sister shared this image and tribute, showing him wearing one of his beloved watches
His partner left flowers at the scene of his murder today and said: ‘We are absolutely devastated without you. You took a piece of my heart with you. A part of me has gone with you’
The couple were walking back to their car when Blue was attacked. Their BMW X3 was parked just 100 metres away and remains cordoned off behind police tape.
Tayla Marie had been was with her partner when he was stabbed last night around 9.30pm. It emerged today that the couple were walking back to their car when Blue was attacked.
Their BMW X3 was parked just 100 metres away and remains cordoned off behind police tape.
A khaki-coloured New York Yankees baseball cap had been left on the dashboard while sunglasses and a hairbrush were left in a glove box. A child’s seat is on the rear passenger side of the vehicle.
But he was attacked seconds before heading home, for his watch.
Tearful cousins and friends have laid flowers at the scene.
One said: ‘He was always smiling, always happy. His children was his life. He had a boy and a girl. ‘
Another friend added: ‘He was the best dad. He even helped me with my kids’.
When asked about his love for watches, another friend said: ‘He liked the sparkliest one he could find.’
His siblings have also left tributes in social media. His sister Jenna shared pictures of Blue and said: ‘Can’t believe I’m writing this but RIP my brother I love you with my whole heart and forever’.
She went on: ‘You always managed to make everyone smile or laugh, gave everything you had to us when we needed the most and now the only thing we need now is you and we can’t have it. My brother I know you’ll keep it lit up there. I love you always’.
Blue is from a family of boxers.
His grandfather Les Stevens went on a 15-fight winning streak as a professional before retiring in 1979. In his career he had 23 wins and just five defeats.
Les then devoted 40 years of his life to training boxers and died in 2020 of Covid-19.
The murder scene this morning outside the Park Tower Casino in London’s Knightsbridge this morning
The tent showing where the murder victim died, allegedly when a robber tried to snatch his gold watch and he fought back
The Park Tower Hotel and Casino is next door to Nusr-Et, the steakhouse run by celebrity chef Salt Bae (pictured today)
The stabbing took place at around 9.30pm last night in Seville Street, which is also close to Harrods, a host of luxury stores and Hyde Park. The Park Tower Hotel and Casino.
Police are hunting for the killer but have not made any arrests.
A worker at a luxury hotel near the murder scene said: ‘I was working there last night. My secretary told me a masked man tried to rob his watch. It was a couple. But the guy pulled out his hand and he took out his knife and stabbed him.
‘The couple were walking along the pavement and he tried to fight back but the guy took the knife and stabbed him in the chest.
‘The police chased the guy but I don’t think they caught him. I saw a little bit of the CCTV. I saw the man lying out on the pavement, a woman was supporting him and crying. There was a lot of blood. He was wearing a white or cream coloured t-shirt. He was unconscious. ‘
The worker said they believed the attacker was on an e-scooter but an American tourist said they thought the killer was on a bike and that they had been warned by friends not to wear any expensive jewellery while walking in London.
Two American guests staying at the Park Royal Hotel told of their shock over the stabbing.
‘We were out around the same time this happened and my father passed by and it happened right there’, they said.
‘The concierge said it was a stabbing. There was an argument and he (the attacker) was on a bike. ‘
The couple, who are heading back to the US today, added: ‘All our friends that live here told us don’t wear expensive watches. It’s kind of sad being in London not being able to wear your expensive jewellery.
‘They said this was the area to stay in too’.
Hotel guests have already started fleeing London early after waking up to the news.
One Kuwait national was due to spend the week in the luxury hotel but is heading home today over fears for his safety.
Police are hunting for the killer and have not made any arrests. The man’s next-of-kin are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.
The public and then paramedics fought to save the victim.
A Japanese tourist who saw it said: ‘A woman who looked like she was with the injured man was screaming ‘oh my god’ again and again. She was very very agitated. It was horrible for us to see. We can’t get the incident out of our heads. We didn’t sleep last night.’
A nearby shop worker said: ‘There are phone snatchers and robberies in this area every day but we haven’t had something as big as this in ages. It’s a murder – it’s scary.
‘It puts tourists off. They don’t feel safe anymore. It’s bad for business, it’s bad for everyone. The whole area depends on them.’
Saud Abdullah , 55, told MailOnline: ‘I live in the hotel. I was walking towards Boots. At about 9pm there was nothing. I got there, it was closed. I came back and he was there. It happened so fast.
‘They were trying to revive him but I was told today he died. There was so much police. There was a lot of paramedics and police cars and people were just freaking out.
‘I saw them trying to revive his chest while he was on the floor. There was a lot of blood.
‘I haven’t been to London in a while but I’m really scared to be honest.’
Police swarmed the exclusive area at just before 9.30pm on Wednesday night
One witness described the scene as ‘bloody’ and it remains sealed off and under police guard today. There have been no arrests.
It is not known if the victim had been in the casino but emergency services were seen going in and out of the building last night.
Superintendent Owen Renowden, who leads policing in Kensington and Chelsea, said: ‘Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones following the shocking events that took place last night.
‘Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command, supported by local officers, are working at pace to establish the circumstances of what happened.
‘We are aware of reports that this incident was a robbery. Although this is an active line of enquiry, we are keeping an open mind about all possible motives and the exact circumstances are still to be determined.
‘We understand the impact this incident will have on the local community and you will see extra officers in the area to help answer any questions or concerns. ‘
Shocked commuters could be seen leaving the Knightsbridge Tube station exit outside Harvey Nichols and walking around the cordoned off murder scene.
The main entrance to the upmarket designer store has been blocked off by a large cordon spanning across to Salt Bae’s iconic Nusr-et steak restaurant.
Police officers can be seen standing guard outside the Park Tower Casino as morning commuters on foot and in cars go past.
One nearby worker told MailOnline he had left his shift shortly before the stabbing.
He said: ‘What an area for this to happen. Who would be carrying a knife around here?
‘We see stolen phones but a murder? I can’t believe it. There’s cameras everywhere here.’
Formula One star Lando Norris was spotted getting into the back of a car outside The Mandarin Oriental hotel just opposite the murder scene this morning.
The McLaren driver – who won the British GP at Silverstone on Sunday – got into the back of a black Range Rover and was driven down the exclusive Knightsbridge road past the scene.
The crime scene, which surrounds the hotel and casino in central London today
Police have cordoned off the pavement outside Harvey Nichols
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 9:23pm yesterday to reports of a stabbing in Seville Street, Knightsbridge.
‘We sent resources to the scene, including paramedics in fast response cars and an incident response officer. We also dispatched a trauma team from London’s Air Ambulance, which consisted of a paramedic and a doctor in a car.
‘The first paramedic arrived in less than four minutes.
‘Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a man died at the scene.’
Yesterday Sir Sadiq Khan announced a policing blitz on London’s 20 most troubled town centres, specifically for shoplifting, robbery, knife crime and anti-social behaviour.
His Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said: ‘The safety of our town centres is more than just policing – it’s about building stronger, more connected communities where everyone feels secure.
‘Across our city there will be partnership led operations to tackle shoplifting and clear, visible neighbourhood officers out on patrol, keeping our communities safe and working to build safer town centres and a safer London for everyone’.
Call police on 101 referencing CAD 8521/09JUL if you were a witness or have any information which might help. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
