Tributes paid to ‘polite and respectful’ teenager after he dies in police car chase

A teenager from north London who was killed in a car crash three months after being set free from a Dubai jail has been described as ‘caring and respectful’ by family friends. 

Marcus Fakana, 19, was a passenger in the vehicle that collided with a lorry in Tottenham in the early hours of Friday. 

He died in hospital from his injuries after the incident on the Roundway. 

The Met had attempted to stop the car when the crash occurred. 

Dozens of bouquets of flowers, balloons and cards have been left at the scene in memory of the teenager who lived under two miles from where the crash happened.

Meanwhile the community near the family home in Tottenham have been rallying around to aid them as they grieve, with the local shop delivering free food and water to their home. 

Marcus died three months to the day after he returned to the UK following his release from jail in the United Arab Emirates.

He had been sentenced to one year in prison after admitting to having consensual sex with a 17-year-old girl, also from London. The liaison was illegal under Dubai laws. 

Friends, neighbours and his former school teacher described Marcus as a hard worker with a bright future ahead of him.

Murat Toguz, who runs Best Supermarket, has known the family for five years.

He told Metro: ‘They are great people. Marcus was always polite and respectful and never any trouble. We are heartbroken for the family.

‘On Tuesday we took them some things from the shop to help them as they have lots of family friends paying their respects. We took them water and tissues and anything we could think of to help. As a community we are so sad for them.

‘Marcus as just a bright, nice young man who had just won his freedom and had his life ahead of him. I have only good things to say about him and his lovely family.’

The driver of the crashed car, 19, was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with death by dangerous driving, driving with no insurance and failing to stop for police.

There will be a vigil in Tottenham at the scene of the crash on Friday, to mark the seventh day since Marcus died.  

A family friend who grew up near Marcus said: ‘He was caring and respectful guy. I’m a few years older than he was but we got on well and would nod and have a bit of a catch-up if I saw him outside the local shop. 

‘We went to Gladesmore Community School in Tottenham and Marcus would look out for my younger siblings. He was protective and would make sure nobody picked on them.

‘He was a cool, calm character. I never knew him to be in trouble so it was with great shock and sadness that I found out he’d died in a crash following a police pursuit.

’It wasn’t right that he had been jailed in Dubai and the fact that he’d only been home a few months makes this all the more tragic.’

Meanwhile Marcus’s former teacher, Marlon James-Edwards, said Gladesmore Community school in Tottenham was mourning the loss of its ‘bright and inquisitive’ former teacher.

He told the BBC: ‘I just remember him in the class, it was a very charismatic class. 

‘He wasn’t the loudest person in the room, but he was paying attention. I could see him looking up, making notes.

’But what I really remember is him being really respectful, being attentive and yeah, I kind of looked at him and thought, “okay, this boy is going to go far”. 

‘I didn’t quite know what he wanted to do. But in terms of his attitude, it seemed like he came from a good family.’

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He said the the fact that Marcus had only just been released from jail before his death on the road in the capital was difficult to comprehend.

He added: ‘I still haven’t processed it to be honest, but obviously I can’t imagine what his family is going through.’ 

Mr James-Edward said Marcus’s imprisonment had been a shock.’We were all getting over the fact of what happened in Dubai and the fact that he was back.’

The Fakana family called on the UK government to intervene and six months into his sentence, Marcus was granted a royal pardon by the authorities in Dubai.  

The Met’s Directorate of Police Standards and Independent Office for Public Conduct have been informed of the incident as the death came after a police chase.

The 19-year-old charged in connection with the incident was ordered to appear at the Old Bailey on 30 October.

He was remanded into custody at a short hearing at Highbury Magistrates Court on Saturday. 

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