A man has been found guilty of murdering a mother in front of her daughter at Notting Hill Carnival.
Cher Maximen, 32, was stabbed to death with a zombie knife after becoming caught up in gang violence during the world-famous event.
Killer Shakeil Thibou, 20, had been attempting to target a man called Adjei Isaac when the nightmare unfolded on August 25 last year.
Mr Isaac managed to dodge the enormous blade as Thibou repeatedly tried to knife him in the stomach.
But during the chaotic scenes model Ms Maximen was knocked to the floor.
As she struggled to her feet Thibou raised his knife and deliberately stabbed her in the groin.
Ms Maximen, who was also a clothing designer, died six days later from her injuries on August 31.
Thibou claimed he was trying to defend himself from Mr Isaac and said he stabbed Ms Maximen by mistake but the jury convicted him of murder, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Mr Isaac and having an offensive weapon, namely a knife.
As the guilty verdict was announced, members of Ms Maximen’s family broke down in tears, with one relative shouting ‘yes’ in relief.
Cher Maximen, 32, was stabbed to death with a zombie knife after becoming caught up in gang violence near the Trellick Tower on Golborne Road
Shakeil Thibou, 20, attempted to stab Adjei Isaac, now 20, before knifing Ms Maximen (above) moments later after she was knocked off her feet on 25 August.
Shakeil’s brothers Sheldon Thibou, 25, and Shaeim Thibou, 22, assaulted a police officer.
Sheldon denied but was convicted of violent disorder and assault on an emergency worker.
Ms Maximen’s cousin Lawrence Hoo told Sky News: ‘I’ve lost my parents. I’ve lost my brother. Nothing has felt like this ever. It is the cruellest thing, it truly is.’
Shaeim denied but was convicted of assaulting PC Oliver Mort but was cleared of violent disorder. The jury deliberated for 50 hours and 33 minutes.
Judge Philip Katz, KC, excused them from future jury service for the rest of their lives saying they had to watch ‘very difficult’ footage.
Prosecutor Edward Brown, KC, earlier said: ‘Cher Maximen was killed and the knife, the weapon used to kill her, was wielded by the first defendant, Shakeil Thibou.
‘Cher Maximen was visiting the carnival too. She has a daughter aged three and her daughter was very close by when her mother, Cher, was attacked and killed.
‘Cher Maximen suffered a terrible injury from which she died. The knife wielded by the defendant you will see – not physically here in court as the defendant got rid of it soon after- you will see camera footage of the fatal attack itself.
‘It is a shocking weapon to have, let alone to use, but use it the defendant did and with devastating consequences. He killed Cher Maximen with it.
‘Moments, and I mean moments, before he stabbed Cher Maximen, the first defendant carried out an equally horrifying attack, on a man who was already retreating from him and from his knife. He was lucky. His name is Adjei Isaac.
‘In fact, he in those moments he may not have realised, or does not now realise, the real danger he faced.
‘He was able to retreat and just draw his body back away from the knife as the defendant Shakeil Thibou thrust it towards his stomach and abdomen- more than once.
Violence broke out at around 5.48pm between the defendants and at least two other males close to where Ms Maximen was standing with her group (File image)
A court heard how Cher was stabbed with a ‘Rambo-style knife’ and suffered a cardiac arrest, after losing 20 units of blood and one of her lungs collapsed
‘As you will come to see, there were hundreds of people in the area- the carnival was in full swing and the location was just off the actual carnival route.
‘You will hear and see that around 5.48pm, a disturbance broke out close to, but not initially directly involving, Cher Maximen and her group but it did involve each of the three defendants and, it would appear, at least two other males.
‘The crowd around the defendants parted, evidently as a reaction to their violence.
‘Sheldon and Shaeim Thibou engaged in a physical confrontation with two other males. A police officer, PC Mort, intervened using his baton in an attempt to break it up.
‘Sheldon, and then Shaeim, hit out at the police officer.
‘Sheldon Thibou was holding a stun gun in his right hand at the time. He also had another, possibly sharp or pointed, object in his left hand.
‘It was contemporaneous to those events that Shakeil Thibou was engaged directly with another man – Adjei Isaac.
‘Shakeil had that huge knife with him, described by one witness as a ‘zombie’ knife.
‘He lunged with the knife directly at Adjei Isaac’s torso, and repeatedly.
‘Isaac tried to grab hold of Shakeil’s arms and in those moments recoiled away from the knife.
‘The knife, with no thanks to the first defendant, just missed him, and only by a very closest of margins.
‘What would have happened had he not instinctively recoiled, pulling his stomach away from the knife, does not need any imagination.
Shakiel Thibou, 20, appeared at the Old Bailey (pictured) alongside his brothers Sheldon, 25, and Shaeim, 22
‘You will see that Cher Maximen had been knocked to the ground in the immediate events as Adjei Isaac recoiled from Shakeil Thibou’s knife.
‘In his efforts to save himself from the knife attack, he had come into contact with Cher.
‘It is clear that she had simply got caught up in the events.
‘Shakeil stumbled over the ladies who were sitting down, including Cher but steadied himself on the hoarding.
‘Cher Maximen in those moments grabbed hold of Shakeil Thibou’s coat, pulled it, managing to get partially to her feet.
‘She appeared to attempt to strike out with her hand at Shakeil who was of course still holding that knife in his hand.
‘Cher took a step towards him and at the same time attempted to raise her right leg towards him.
‘It was at this moment that Shakeil Thibou raised the knife directly towards Cher Maximen and deliberately thrust it towards her, stabbing her in the groin.
‘The injuries inflicted on Ms Maximen were fatal- the defendant had killed her. It was a truly shocking attack – and indeed regarded as such by those around it.
‘Ms Maximen fell backwards to the ground.
‘Shakeil Thibou ran away – with his brothers.’
Shakeil’s face showed ‘pure anger’ when he stabbed Ms Maximen, Mr Brown said.
Police had reported that the crowds on the festival’s ‘family day’ were becoming ‘semi-hostile’ in the late afternoon.
When Sheldon was arrested on 27 August a stun gun was found along with machete knives.
Shakeil was arrested in a hostel where large knives were found. He has no previous convictions but one caution for a drug offence.
Sheldon two convictions for possession of cannabis in 2020 and dangerous driving in July 2024.
Shakeil, from Hammersmith, denied but was convicted of murder and having an offensive weapon.
He was cleared of attempted murder in relation to Mr Isaac but convicted of attempting to cause GBH with intent.
Sheldon, from Fulham, was convicted of violent disorder and assault on an emergency worker.
Shaeim, from West Kensington, denied but was cleared of violent disorder but was convicted of assault on an emergency worker.
Shakeil will be sentenced on 16 May while his brothers will be dealt with on a date to be fixed.
