The devastated daughter of a London bus driver who was stabbed to death by her ex as he walked home from a late shift says she is struggling with the pain of knowing the man responsible is someone she had been in a relationship with. Derek Thomas, 55, was stabbed five times by Kamar Williams with a ‘very big knife’ just metres from his home in Stoke Newington.
Williams has today (Friday, July 18) been jailed after being found guilty of murdering the grandfather he once considered a ‘father figure’ and being in possession of an offensive weapon following a trial at the Old Bailey. The 34-year-old, from West Ferry Road on the Isle Of Dogs, has been sentenced to life imprisonment and he will spend at least 29 years behind bars.
Her Honour Judge Angela Rafferty KC explained in court that Williams was ‘simmering with rage’ after arguing with Carron Thomas – his ex and Mr Thomas’ daughter – on July 30, 2024. Jurors were told Williams went looking for Carron that night – the night of the murder – and sent threatening text messages warning her to “watch this space”.
Mr Thomas, who had been married for 35 years, had finished a late shift as a bus driver and gone into Tesco for some food before heading home. He was walking along Northwold Road at 11pm, just round the corner from his home on Benthal Road opposite Stoke Newington Common, when Williams spotted him and pounced.
The jury heard Carron had called police twice in the hours before her dad was attacked. Just before 7pm, she reported to police that Williams was at her sister’s address, but when police arrived he was not there.
Then just after 10.30pm, she called police again, while she was at her sister’s house, believing she could see Williams walking through the estate. Williams went to Mr Thomas’s home looking for him or his daughter, but they were not in.
CCTV captured Williams stopping directly outside Mr Thomas’ home. Williams was wearing a pair of reflective trainers, which made him easily identifiable throughout the CCTV footage. Williams was seen pacing along Benthal Road, loitering near Mr Thomas’ home, before disappearing out of shot. Moments later, he returned to his van and drove away.
As he was driving away, he spotted Mr Thomas at 11:03pm. Williams stopped the van he was driving in the middle of the road, got out and stabbed the grandfather five times. Police received the 999 call at 11.04pm and Mr Thomas died at the scene despite paramedics trying to save him.
Judge Rafferty told Williams he had targeted Mr Thomas for “revenge because of your own fury”, adding that the attack involved “savage violence”. Giving her sentencing remarks, the judge added: “I am sure that you intended to kill Derek Thomas. This was a merciless and determined attack.
“You killed him even though at one time you saw him as a father figure. You knew how important he was to his wife and his children as you had lived alongside them for two years.”
Judge Rafferty added: “I am sure that in your frustration and anger, you planned to have a violent confrontation with one of the Thomas family that night. Mr Thomas died there on the street minutes from his home with the shopping he had bought strewn around him.”
‘My family is broken – we feel dad’s absence in every moment’
Carron said her dad was a “kind, gentle and loving man” who “did not deserve to have his life taken in such a senseless way”. In a victim impact statement that was read to the court, Ms Thomas said: “What makes this loss even more painful is that the person responsible is someone I shared a relationship with.
“My family is broken. We are trying to carry on, but we do so with heavy hearts, we feel our father’s absence in every moment.”
Mr Thomas’s sister, Blondelle Thomas, said her brother was a “dedicated bus driver” with Go Ahead London and had been a “prolific footballer who retired early due to injury”.
Reading her victim impact statement at the sentencing, Ms Thomas added: “My brother Derek Thomas was cruelly and brutally ripped away from me and all who loved and cared about him.
“I cannot hold my brother, I’ll never hear his words ‘I love you sister’ again. I’m truly grateful to have had Derek’s love and trust in my life.”
Fugitive escaped police for weeks
After the “frenzied” attack, Williams went on the run. Two days after the murder, police were contacted about an abandoned grey van on Langford Close, in Hackney Down. Inside, officers recovered a bank card belonging to Williams from the driver’s seat, directly linking him to the vehicle.
Enquiries at a local hospital also revealed that Williams had sought treatment for a 5cm cut to his left knee on July 31, the day after the murder. Williams repeatedly attempted to evade police.
On August 3 traffic officers tried to stop a silver BMW on Burnt Ash Hill, near Hither Green in South London, but the driver made off. Williams was behind the wheel.
In a further effort to avoid arrest, Williams left London temporarily. However, following a manhunt, officers identified and arrested him at Notting Hill Carnival on August 26.
Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector John Marriott, who led the investigation, said: “This was a brutal and premeditated attack on a much-loved father. Kamar Williams showed clear intent that night, driving to Derek’s home, waiting for the right moment, and carrying out this senseless act of violence.
“The swift response from our officers, combined with extensive CCTV, forensic work, and determination from our investigation team, led to his arrest and conviction.”
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