The 16-year-old was stabbed less than a mile from his home.
A 16-year-old boy charged with the murder of Fico Dougan, 17, appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court this morning for a preliminary hearing.
The Mitcham boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of stabbing Fico four times less than a mile from his home in Bounds Green on Wednesday at around 2pm.
Fico had only just joined John Ruskin College to study BTEC in Business Management after leaving Archbishop Tenison’s Church of England High School last year.
Friends and family laid flowers as they gathered at his family home on Wednesday night.
A cousin of Fico, who did not wish to be named, told the London Evening Standard:
“It is like a big hole has been burnt in the family. He was bubbly, friendly, always someone you could have a laugh with. He was just a nice person.
“He always wanted to make something of himself so business management was something he thought he could use.”
She added: “Things like this happen all the time in Croydon but when it’s family it’s awful. I just think it is something that as a community and as a borough we just really need to work on.
“With the young black youngsters it is almost as if there is a stereotype and they want to play up to it. Like it is trivial, the death of a boy, it’s not that important.”
Many former school colleagues have led tributes for the ‘warm hearted’ Fico on twitter.
One friend tweeted: “It just hasn’t registered. It’s so surreal. Said his name like over 100 times. He didn’t deserve it.”
Another tweet said: “No one deserves this. Such a beautiful soul, you will be missed. You’re in a better place now Fico, RIP xxxxxxxx”
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