Children left traumatised after watching mother get stabbed to death

The attack on Ayodele Akinsiku was witnessed by eight-year-old daughter, her five-year-old brother, and two-year-old sister at their home in Deptford.

They saw their mother crawl out of the front door as her brother-in- law Abaodun Akinsiku continued the assault, severing a major artery and leaving blood splashed up the walls.

Today family friends said the horrifying experience had left the children devastated, frightened and alone.

The eldest child, who ran to call the police as Akinsiku killed himself with the knife, has refused to be touched by anyone since the murder.

She still sleeps every night in the clothes in which her mother dressed her on the night of the killing.

While her brother keeps repeating the words: "Mummy is dead, she has gone". None of the children wants to talk about what has happened and they have even refused to open up to close relatives.

Annette Reid, 34, who was the best friend of Mrs Akinsiku, said the Nigerian, who worked at the Home Office, was a committed Christian.

She worked within the Government's asylum appeals process and was a governor at the nearby Grinling Gibbons Primary School.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with her death or the apparent suicide of her brother-in-law.

He said the case had now been passed to the coroner.