Twenty-six years after the murder of 10-year-old Damilola Taylor shocked Britain, his elder brother, Tunde Taylor, has revealed that he still blames himself for the tragedy and wonders whether he could have done more to protect him.
Speaking in the BBC documentary, Damilola: The Untold Story, Tunde recalled how he tried to take on a fatherly role when the family moved from Nigeria to Peckham, south-east London, while their father, Richard, remained in Nigeria for work.
Damilola had arrived in Britain only months before his death in November 2000. His family had moved to London partly to seek medical treatment for his sister, who suffered from epilepsy.
Tunde, who was 21 at the time, said he walked Damilola to school on the morning of November 27, 2000, unaware that it would be the last time he saw his younger brother alive.
Later that day, Damilola was returning home after visiting Peckham Library when he was attacked. He was found bleeding heavily in a stairwell on the North Peckham Estate after suffering a fatal wound from a broken bottle.
The documentary also features actor John Boyega, who was eight when Damilola died. Boyega and his sister Grace were among the last people to see the schoolboy alive after they left the library with him.
Boyega recalled the carefree child he knew and said the killing profoundly affected his childhood. The tragedy, he said, also shaped his determination to pursue acting and become someone who could make a positive difference.
Tunde Taylor says he still feels responsible for not being there to help his brother Damilola Credit: BBC
The case became one of Britain’s most closely followed murder investigations. Serious problems emerged during the initial investigation and the case went through several trials before Danny and Ricky Preddie were eventually convicted of manslaughter in 2006. They were sentenced to eight years in youth custody.
For Tunde, however, the legal conclusion did little to end the family’s pain.
He said his father’s grief was overwhelming and that he was left with the painful feeling that he had failed his younger brother.
Damilola had dreamed of becoming a doctor and had spoken about finding a cure for his sister’s illness.
More than two decades later, his memory remains tied not only to the tragedy of his death but also to a wider campaign against youth violence.
The new documentary revisits his final hours through the memories of his family and childhood friends, while examining the fear and violence that affected Peckham in the years following his death.
For those who knew Damilola, the story remains unfinished. His life was cut short at 10, but his family’s determination to preserve his memory has ensured that his name continues to stand for hope, opportunity and the fight against violence.
