Stabbing victim's brothers appeal

Bernard Hegarty died five days after he was stabbed in the chest

The brothers of a man who died after being stabbed in east London during his lunch break said "the heart has been torn out" of their family.

Michael and Matthew Hegarty asked for witnesses to come forward at a press conference at Bethnal Green police station on Wednesday.

Bernard Hegarty, 29, was killed while shopping for furniture for his new flat in Bethnal Green on 11 August.

Appeal posters are being handed out by police where the murder took place.

Mr Hegarty died five days after the attack on Tuesday, at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, in east London.

"We are struggling to understand how someone could be attacked whilst trying to carrying on with their every day life Matthew Hegarty

His brother, Matthew Hegarty, said: "Bernard was a well-loved, caring and strong man. He formed a central part of our very close and loving family and we already miss him terribly.

"The heart of our family has been torn out and we are struggling to understand how someone could be attacked whilst trying to carrying on with their every day life."

His other brother Michael Hegarty said: "This was a callous individual. Bernard fought in the hospital as much as he could, but it was a fight that he could not win."

Mr Hegarty, who became an architect after graduating from Brighton University, was looking forward to moving out of the home he shared with his parents and into a flat with friends.

Det Ch Insp Jim Condron, the senior investigating officer in the case, said the attacker might have fled empty-handed.

"We have no indication that property was taken from him. We have reason to believe that the motive was robbery," he said.

Police are also carrying out door-to-door inquiries and a mobile police station is being set up to help gather any potential information from witnesses.

A man who has been described as dark-skinned with curly hair and distinctive shave marks down the sides of his face was seen leaving the scene.