Police hunt ‘killer taxi passenger’ who knifed Romanian minicab driver, 37, to death in his vehicle outside school in London sparking murder probe

  • Body of Gabriel Bringye, 37, found in his vehicle outside school in Tottenham   
  • He was allegedly murdered by customer who had fled by time police arrived.
  • Friends say nothing was stolen and he may have been killed in targeted attack
  • Victim had lived in UK for 13 years and was planning wedding for later this year

Police have launched a murder investigation after a Romanian minicab driver was stabbed to death by one of his passengers in North London.

The body of Gabriel Bringye, 37, who was planning his wedding for later this year, was found in his vehicle outside a school in Tottenham last night. 

Detectives believe he was murdered by a customer who had fled by the time police arrived. Friends say nothing was stolen and they believe Mr Bringye was either the victim of a targeted attack or had been in an argument with his customer.

A bus driver parked opposite Mr Bringye’s private cab alerted the police, and an air ambulance was called but he was pronounced dead at the scene 40 minutes later. 

The victim was originally from Romania but had been in the UK for 13 years and had worked as a minicab driver in London since 2015. 

The body of Gabriel Bringye (pictured), 37, who was planning his wedding for later this year, was found in his vehicle outside a school in Tottenham, North London, last night

His sister has given police details of his last pickup which was an address in Tottenham .

The fare was ordered through the Bolt mobile app in which customers can book a private hire cab in the same way they use the Gett taxi app.

A friend paid tribute to Mr Bringye, who lived in Leyton, East London, and said he was excited about getting married to his fiancée Mara later this year.

They said: ‘The wedding plans had been put on hold due to Covid but Gabriel was hopeful him and Mara could marry this year.

‘It’s an awful tragedy. He was the nicest, most gentle human being you could meet. He wouldn’t harm a fly. We are all in shock. 

‘We don’t know if he perhaps got into an argument with a passenger and was stabbed because of that. I can’t believe why anyone would want to hurt him.

Police have launched a murder investigation after Mr Bringye was stabbed to death by one of his passengers in Tottenham, North London

‘He didn’t have children himself but he doted on his sister’s children. He was a great uncle and very close to his brother and sister, who lived near him.

‘We don’t know many details yet, he was working last night and was killed just after he had picked up a fare apparently.

‘The police were called by someone who had been on a bus parked opposite the murder scene.’

Mr Bringye lived with Mara at a terraced home in Tottenham. She was too upset to talk this morning.

However, another friend told MailOnline: ‘We believe he was stabbed by a customer during a trip on the Bolt app.

‘The attacker did not take anything from him and it happened in a low traffic area, leaving the impression that the attacker maybe prepared everything in advance.

The driver’s car had been left right in front of the gate at Ferry Lane Primary School, seen today

‘Gabriel’s sister managed to get into his Bolt account and the last journey had not yet closed so she could see the pick-up address which was in N17, near to where the murder took place.

‘Gabriel’s car had been left right in front of the gate at Ferry Lane Primary School.’

Homicide detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime are leading the investigation. A post mortem is due to be carried out. There have been no arrests.

A spokesman for the Met said: ‘Police were called to Jarrow Road, N17 at 19:21hrs on Wednesday, 17 February after concerns were raised about an injured man who was unresponsive inside a vehicle at the location.

‘Officers attended with paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and the London Air Ambulance.

‘The man – believed to be in his 30s – was found with an injury consistent with having been stabbed.’

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