Mother stabbed at Notting Hill Carnival in coma and could need leg amputated, court hears

A mother is in a coma and may lose her leg after being stabbed in Notting Hill Carnival in front of her three-year-old daughter.

Cher Maximen, 32, is fighting for life in hospital after she tried to stop a fight breaking out at the street festival, a court heard.

Shakiel Thibou, 20, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder.

The court heard the victim had attended Notting Hill Carnival with her young daughter and other family and friends on Sunday and was stabbed in the groin in broad daylight.

Ms Maximen suffered a cardiac arrest and remains in a life-threatening condition following the incident.

She is in a coma after losing 20 units of blood, one of her lungs has collapsed and she may need to have her leg amputated, the court heard.

Shakiel Thibou is also charged with possessing a knife in a public place and violent disorder.

He appeared alongside his two brothers, Sheldon Thibou, 24, and Shaeim Thibou, 21, who are both charged with violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker, while Sheldon Thibou faces an additional charge of possessing a stun gun.

All three brothers wore grey tracksuits and spoke to confirm their name, date of birth and address as they sat in the dock together at the hearing.

Shakiel Thibou, of Masbro Road, Hammersmith, west London, and Sheldon Thibou, of Star Road, Hammersmith, gave no indication of pleas, while Shaeim Thibou, of Charleville Road, Fulham, southwest London, indicated a not guilty plea.

District Judge John Zani denied all three defendants bail and remanded them into custody to next appear together for a hearing at the Old Bailey on 25 September.

Ms Maximen is among the eight people to be stabbed over two days, with one 41-year-old man also in critical condition after sustaining a head injury during an assault in Queensway on Monday evening.

Police made 349 arrests, with 72 of those being for possession of an offensive weapon while three firearms were recovered.

A total of 61 police officers were injured during the event, with assaults mostly involving kicks, punches or pushes.

There were four incidents where officers were spat at, two where officers were headbutted and two where officers had glass bottles thrown at them.

Organiser Notting Hill Carnival said it worked “closely with the Metropolitan Police and many dedicated partners”, adding “there is no excuse” for violence and “that is not carnival”.

Commander Charmain Brenyah, the Met’s spokesperson for the event, said: “Our thoughts, first and foremost, are with the woman who is fighting for her life in hospital and with her loved ones. She came to Carnival to have fun with her young child and was caught up in the most awful violence.”

Around 1 million people attend the festival each year, which has taken place since 1966 and celebrates Caribbean culture.