First knife Lawless London murder victim of 2019 revealed as woman, 33, stabbed to death in Camberwell hours into New Year
Charlotte Huggins had sent friends and family a New Year's message before she was killed
THE first knife murder victim of 2019 has been revealed as a 33-year-old woman - killed just hours into the New Year.
Charlotte Huggins was stabbed to death in Camberwell, London, just after 4am yesterday morning.
The mum had tragically posted a message after midnight wishing friends and family "happy New Year", before she was killed in John Ruskin Street.
Cops raced to the property around 4.20am but the young mum was pronounced dead just half an hour later.
Crowds gathered outside the home yesterday where floral tributes were left, with one card reading "loved by everyone".
Messages posted online called her "beautiful" and said she would be missed, while others called for the knife epidemic in the capital to end.
A post mortem examination gave her cause of death as from a single stab wound.
A man, 34, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder, but has since been bailed to return in mid-January - cops think he was known to Charlotte.
The capital was last year plagued by a knife crime epidemic as figures revealed crimes involved such weapons surged by 16 per cent.
Excluding those killed in terror attacks like London Bridge, Westminster and Manchester, there was still a 12 per cent rise in murders — the highest numbers in a decade.
The total number of offences involving a knife or bladed instrument that have been recorded by cops in the year to March 2018 rose to 40,147, a seven-year-high.
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Yesterday's attack - just four hours into the new year - will spark fears the bloody trend is set to continue into 2019.
Anyone with information is asked to contact officers via 101 quoting reference 2651/1Jan.
You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or tweet police via @MetCC