Police arrest man, 41, and three boys on suspicion of murder after father-of-two, 31, was chased to his sister’s doorstep where he was beaten with baseball bat and stabbed to death
- Chris Hewett, who had five month old baby, collapsed at the house in Stevenage
- The 31-year-old father was taken to hospital but died shortly after arrival
- Four people arrested in connection with the killing including 41-year-old man
- Police have also arrested three teenage boys aged 15, 16 and 17
Police have launched a murder investigation after a father-of-two was chased 500 metres from some shops to his sister’s doorstep where he was beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed to death.
Chris Hewett, 31, who had a five-month-old baby, managed to stumble into the house in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, where he collapsed in the front room on Friday evening at 9.15pm.
Mr Hewett was taken to hospital but died shortly after arrival.
Four people have been arrested in connection with the killing, including a man, 41, and three boys aged 15, 16 and 17.
Chris Hewett, 31, (pictured) who had a five month old baby, was beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed to death
A friend of Mr Hewett told MailOnline: ‘He wouldn’t have harmed anyone, he was a really nice peaceful guy.
‘He had run to his sister’s home and was hit by a baseball bat as he knocked on the door.
‘The gang then stabbed him several times and then ran off.
‘His sister answered the door and he slumped forward inside and basically fell to the floor in her living room.
‘I don’t what it was about or why he was targeted but it was a horrific way to die.
‘He had a young baby at home. His partner is absolutely devastated.’
Mr Hewett managed to stumble into his sister’s house in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, (street pictured) where he collapsed in the front room on Friday evening at 9.15pm
A witness, who asked not to be named, said he heard the gang talking about the murder as they fled the scene.
He said: ‘They didn’t look very old. I heard shouting and screaming and so I looked out of my bedroom window to see what was happening.
‘One of them said: ‘I’ve just stabbed him up. I need to get rid of the knife.
‘Later on I heard that he had been chased by the gang from the local parade of shops and he’d run to his sister’s to try and get to safety.
‘But they caught him as he got the front door.’
Flowers have been left outside his sister’s home today.
One card read: ‘I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Always winding me up. This is so unfair.’
His sister had left a poem which read: ‘My heart has been left broken since the day you had to go and the memories I treasure dearly are in the tears that still flow.
‘You’re in my thoughts everyday and that’s how it will always be. For you may be up in heaven now but you’ll always be with me.
‘If only I could have the chance to see your face once more or to hear your voice one final time just like it was before.
‘The day that heaven calls for me will be a relief from all this pain. I’ll run to you with open arms and we will meet again.’
All four of those arrested remain in custody.
Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins from the BCH Major Crime Unit said: ‘We have made a number of arrests but as we pursue a number of lines of enquiry we are also appealing for any witnesses or anyone who has information about what happened to contact us.’