Police are investigating the death of a man after he fell from a third-floor flat in north London after knife-wielding burglars broke into his home in a “targeted attack”.

Sheiku Adams fell onto the pavement outside Denyer House in Highgate Road, Camden, before he was taken to a north London hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly before midnight on Thursday.

Police were responding to reports of a forced entry when they arrived shortly after 9pm, finding him on the pavement beneath the building with serious injuries.

Unconfirmed reports in the local press said he died while trying to escape from his attackers. It was unknown whether he was attempting to climb down the outside of the six-storey block, or if he had intended to jump.

His next-of-kin have been informed and a postmortem examination will take place.

DCI Noel McHugh from the Met’s homicide and major crime command said that the cause of Adams’ death remained unclear, after two men broke into his flat with at least one knife in what police considered a “targeted attack”.

“Tragically a man has lost his life in what appears to have started as an aggravated burglary and ended in his death, after he fell from a third-floor window. It is very early in the investigation, but I believe two men forced their way into the flat armed with at least one knife.

“This appears to be a targeted attack and there will be people out there who will know who is responsible for the events that led to Sheiku’s death. I need to hear from those people as a matter of urgency.”

He said police had appealed to local residents who may have seen two men loitering in the area before 9pm to come forward as they investigate the circumstances in which Adams fell from the window. We will be working around the clock to piece together the circumstances of this case and bring those responsible to justice.”

A police cordon was in place at the front of Denyer House on Saturday morning, blocking off a footpath and access to the building as forensics officers investigated. A third-floor window was open but blocked by black sheeting.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said he was shocked by the incident and described Adams as a “great guy” who “always helped us out”.

“He was a very devout man and a very nice guy,” the neighbour said. “He never had a bad word to say and always said hello to people .. I don’t understand why they chose that flat. This is nice place to live, everyone is nice and friendly so it’s very strange.”



