Wood Green double stabbing: Tributes to woman and father found dead in flat

Tributes have been paid to a 31-year-old woman stabbed to death along with her father at their home in Wood Green.

The woman, named locally as Fernanda, was found dead alongside her 61-year-old dad at the flat in Mayes Road, Haringey, on Sunday morning.

A 52-year-old man remains in custody arrested on suspicion of murdering them both.

Earlier on Sunday, Cambridgeshire Police had been called to reports of a man acting suspiciously in Huntingdon.

While engaging with officers, he made comments which prompted the request for Met officers to visit the property in Mayes Road.

Shopkeepers in a market below her Wood Green flat said she was a “lovely” and “bubbly” woman.

A friend, who did not want to be named, said: “She was my friend. She was really nice and would come to my deli shop every day.

“She was friendly, bubbly, nice and polite. I am in shock.

“She was just quiet when she came in with him.

“I only met her father once.

“I am just in complete shock and am really sad.”

Anusha Lutchmiah, 40, said: “She would come to our cafe to eat and have a cup of tea.

“She was a very lovely, friendly girl and you could say that she loved eating. She had quite a big build and had long hair.

“Her dad was from Goa and her mother was Jewish.”

Martin, 47, said: “She was a carer for her father and was very friendly.

“When she was on her own she would stop and chat to people for 20 minutes or half an hour.

“But when she was with him she would not even say hello.”

Another man, 60, who owns a nearby restaurant, said: “They had been coming here for more than 10 years.

“She was a lovely girl and when she was alone she used to come here and talk to everyone about her life.

“When she came with him she would not say a single word which we thought was a bit strange. It is very, very sad.

“People in this market loved her, she was a lovely girl.”

Another shop owner said: “She was very friendly and bubbly.

“I can’t believe what happened, it is so sad.

“We used to have chats in the morning. Her father had some mental health problems and her mother is blind.

“He did seem a bit strange but you would never guess there were any problems between them. She was the opposite of him.”

A 52-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder remains in police custody.

Det Ch Insp Claire Hine, who is leading the investigation, said: “This incident has taken the lives of a father and daughter.

“Our thoughts are with their loved ones as they come to terms with such an unimaginable loss.

“We are providing and will continue to provide them with whatever support we can.

“We believe that the victims and the man in custody were known to each other and while the investigation is still in its early stages, I am confident that we are not looking for additional suspects and that there is no continuing risk to members of the public in the area.

“I would ask anyone who heard anything unusual or witnessed any suspicious behaviour in the vicinity of Mayes Road, either this weekend or at another time, to contact the police.

“Information that helps us to build a picture of what has taken place in this case could be very important.”

Anyone with information can call 101 or tweet @MetCC with the reference 2183/28NOV.

Information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.