Dad stabbed in neck while getting haircut—children watched as he bled out in East London street

A brutal killing inside a busy East London barbershop has left a community shaken and a family shattered. Thirty-three-year-old Josh McKay was midway through a haircut at Hollywood Cuts on Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, when a masked attacker lunged at him and stabbed him in the neck—right in front of horrified witnesses, including two young children.

The shocking attack unfolded like a scene from a horror film. Moments earlier, McKay had been chatting happily with his barber about an upcoming holiday to Jamaica. In a flash, the mood shifted to chaos and bloodshed.

Witnesses described the sudden violence as McKay, struck by the blade, clutched his bleeding neck and stumbled out into the street. Through blood and confusion, he cried out in disbelief: “I can’t believe they got me.”

Despite the severity of the wound, McKay showed a moment of astonishing resolve. He managed to grab the weapon after it fell during the struggle and tried to chase after his fleeing attacker. But his injuries were too grave. He collapsed not far from the shop, his desperate attempt to survive tragically cut short.

Passers-by and barbershop patrons stood frozen as emergency services rushed to the scene. Nothing could be done to save him. McKay was pronounced dead shortly after.

The chilling incident has rocked the area, as more grim details surfaced during a trial at the Old Bailey. Prosecutors revealed that three individuals have been charged in connection with the killing. Renai Belle, 30, from Edmonton, Tenika Parker, 39, from Leyton, and Daniel Cooper, 22, from Walthamstow, now stand accused of murdering McKay. Belle faces an additional charge of carrying a knife in public.

Investigators have yet to publicly disclose a motive behind the daylight ambush, but the nature of the attack has sparked fear across the neighbourhood and left many wondering what could provoke such savagery.

McKay’s murder has not only devastated his family but traumatised everyone who witnessed it—particularly the children who were inside the barbershop during the attack. Locals say Hollywood Cuts, once a lively spot for trims and banter, now feels like a place haunted by violence.

Outside the shop, tributes have begun to appear. Candles, flowers, and handwritten notes line the pavement, where McKay drew his last breath. Friends and family gathered silently, many unable to speak, overwhelmed by the brutality of his final moments.

Residents describe McKay as a warm, easygoing man who loved his children and had looked forward to his Caribbean holiday. “He wasn’t the sort of guy to have enemies,” one neighbour said. “He was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong people watching.”

The trial continues, with more revelations expected to emerge as prosecutors present CCTV footage and witness testimony in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, McKay’s loved ones are left picking up the pieces of a life violently taken—in a place as mundane and familiar as a local barbershop.

The attack raises unsettling questions about the rising audacity of violent crime in public spaces. For many, this wasn’t just a murder—it was a terrifying reminder that life can end in an instant, even when you’re sitting in a barber’s chair.