Man who stabbed ‘hugely popular’ Islington flower seller jailed for life

Tony Eastlake, 55, was attacked in May 2021 near his stall in north London.

Tony Eastlake was known as the flower man of Islington, the judge said (Metropolitan Police/PA) (PA Media)

A popular flower seller was killed in a “needless and senseless” attack by his late girlfriend’s son who has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years.

Tony Eastlake, 55, was fatally stabbed in May 2021 near his stall in Islington, north London, by James Peppiatt, who blamed him for his mother’s suicide.

Peppiatt, 23, who was found guilty of murder after a trial at the Old Bailey, had no “lawful or legitimate reason” for possessing the knife, Judge Richard Marks KC said while sentencing him on Thursday.

(Mr Eastlake) was extremely well known in the area and was a hugely popular local figure. He was known as the flower man of Islington. I am told that hundreds attended his funeral and a later vigil

Judge Richard Marks KC

The judge, speaking about Mr Eastlake, said: “He had a flower stall in Islington where he had worked for the whole of his life, from a very young age.

“He was extremely well known in the area and was a hugely popular local figure.

“He was known as the flower man of Islington. I am told that hundreds attended his funeral and a later vigil.

“I heard this afternoon in profoundly moving terms from his daughter and his sister.

“They were present throughout the trial and remain utterly broken-hearted by his needless and senseless death.”

The victim’s daughter Paige Eastlake told the court her father’s death had broken her family.

She went on: “We all get one life and I would never have thought that I could end up here, in a courtroom.

“My best friend, my dad, my whole world is now gone.”

Teresa McLaren, Mr Eastlake’s sister, told the court that a part of her was “missing” but had drawn strength from learning how much her brother meant to the Islington community.

Mr Eastlake had separated from his long-term partner in 2018 and begun a relationship with the defendant’s mother Alisha Callaghan.

Ms Callaghan took her own life in April 2021, which caused a rift between Peppiatt, then 21, and Mr Eastlake.

Albeit you (Peppiatt) had a knife on you, the stabbing was not premeditated. This is amply borne out by the fact that you didn’t use it in the first fight, but only in the second confrontation, by which time your blood was well and truly up

Judge Richard Marks KC

On May 29 2021, Mr Eastlake had been working on his flower stall on Essex Road in Islington and after packing up at around 5.15pm, met Peppiatt in the street where a fight broke out between them.

Mr Eastlake walked away but Peppiatt followed him with a knife and stabbed him in the back, in what the Metropolitan Police called an act of “revenge”.

The judge told Peppiatt: “Albeit you had a knife on you, the stabbing was not premeditated.

“This is amply borne out by the fact that you didn’t use it in the first fight, but only in the second confrontation, by which time your blood was well and truly up.”

Dean George KC, defending, said the killing stemmed from “loss and grief on both sides”.

He went on: “This is a young man of good character, he was from a young age a boy bringing up his mum.”