A masked knifeman has stabbed a man to death before stealing his car, Scotland Yard said.
Harjinder Singh Bhurji, 32, was sitting in his black Mercedes CLK coupe talking to a female friend when the robber opened the passenger door and dragged the woman from the car.
Mr Bhurji was stabbed in the chest after he refused to hand over the car keys and was pronounced dead at the scene in Stoneleigh Road, Ilford, east London, police said.
The victim, who lived in Ilford, initially tried to hide the car keys under his seat but the robber threatened to harm his friend if he did not hand them over.
He was stabbed before he could retrieve the keys, police said, but, despite his injuries, he then found them and handed them to the thief – who drove off.
Police were called to the scene at 1.10am on Tuesday and found Mr Bhurji had suffered a chest wound. He was pronounced dead at 1.42am.
The car, registration number R4 JXW, was found abandoned in Forest Glade, Chingford, east London, at 2.45am.
The victim’s friend, who was with him at the time, was found at the scene uninjured but suffering from shock.
Murder squad detectives are keen to hear from anyone who saw the car, possibly driving at high speed, anywhere between Stoneleigh Road and Forest Glade, a journey of approximately three miles. The thief may travelled down the A406 North Circular Road or through main back roads.
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Rickells, who is leading the investigation, said: “The suspect appears to have been purely motivated by stealing the car because at this early stage we can find no other obvious motive. As far as we can tell, the victim did not know the suspect or why he might want his car.”
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