Edmonton stabbing: Boy, 13, charged with murder of Christopher John Barry outside his home in London

Mr Barry died following a row outside his home

The area at the entrance of the flats was sealed off while forensic experts examined the entry system (PA) (PA)

A 13-year-old boy has been charged with murdering a man outside his home in Edmonton following a “verbal altercation”, police have said.

Christopher John Barry, 53, also known as Jack, was stabbed in Edmonton, north London, on Sunday evening.

A group of boys had been trying to get to a party at a flat in the block when Mr Barry, reported to be an Irish construction worker, and his girlfriend arrived at The Broadway building in Edmonton, north London.

After a short dispute, the couple went into the building. The boys, who did not know Mr Barry, stabbed him before he reached his front door, said police.

Ambulance crews were called to attend the incident, but Mr Barry was pronounced dead on the scene shortly before 8.40pm on Sunday.

The man’s girlfriend, named locally as council worker Sabrina Finn, was comforted by a neighbour as ambulance staff unsuccessfully tried to save his life.

Yesterday, a post-mortem examination found the cause of death was a stab wound to the chest.

Christopher John Barry was murdered outside his home in Edmonton Green (PA)

Read more: Five boys aged 13 and 14 held after man is stabbed to death

The teenage boy facing charges has been remanded in custody to appear at Highbury Corner Youth Court tomorrow charged with murder, Scotland Yard said.

Police also arrested four other boys - three aged 14 and one 13 - on suspicion of murder. They must return to an east London police station on a date in late January where they will be questioned by police, Scotland Yard said.

Detective Chief Inspector Neale Baldock, of the Homicide and Major Crime Command, who is leading the investigation, said: “Our initial inquiries have established that there was a supervised party taking place at another address within the block and the group of males were trying to gain access to this.

"The victim and this group were not known to each other - what started as a minor verbal altercation has escalated into a shocking act of violence."

Guy Bouho, who lives on the fifth floor of the block where the murder look place, told the Enfield Independent that his neighbour was a “hard-working and lovely man”.

This was the third serious incident in Edmonton within the past 16 days. All took place within a mile of each other.

Additional reporting by PA