Mustapha Charkaui, 57, and his wife, Krystina suffered serious head injuries after they were hit with a spade taken from their own garden shed by two offenders who broke into their home in Dunsham Lane on March 12.

The couple were both taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Mr Charkaui was later transferred to the JR2 Hospital in Oxford.

Mrs Charkaui was released from hospital soon after the incident but Mr Charkaui died as a result of his injuries at 6.10pm on Friday after failing to regain consciousness in the 12 days after the attack.

Today, Mr Charkaui's son, Tarik, his widow Krystina, and daughter-in-law, Hayat, faced the cameras to help police get more information to help the murder investigation.

BHTV: Watch our video news report from the press conference

Tarik Charkaui said: "It is hard for me and my family to be here today to talk about someone who was so loved so much by his family.

"My father was a hard working, dedicated family man, who loved his grandchildren very much. He was a perfectionist and was loved by so many people for his lovely helpful manner.

"As a result of this tragic incident my family, and our friends and colleagues are devastated. Please help us, and if you know anything, please get in touch with the police."

The attack occurred at 10.30pm on Monday March 12 when two offenders used a spade to smash the rear patio of Mr and Mrs Charkaui's house.

Mrs Charkaui ran upstairs to where her husband was, followed by one of the offenders who then struck her with the spade across the face causing a deep cut to her eye and forehead.

Mr Charkaui was then struck over the back of the head and knocked unconscious. Both of the offenders then ran out of the house and in the direction of Bardon Green.

DCI Karen Trego, senior investigating officer on the incident, said: "We are appealing for anyone who was in the vicinity of Dunsham Lane or Elmhurst Road in Aylesbury between 9.30pm and 11pm on Monday March 12 to come forward as they may have seen something crucial to our investigation.

"The men were wearing balaclavas, but from glimpses caught by the victims we believe they were white or light skinned.

"We are also looking for a spade or shovel which was used as the murder weapon and I am urging anyone in the vicinity to look for a spade in their gardens that does not belong to them."

DCI Trego said were unclear about the exact events that led up to the attack and were keeping all options open about the intentions of the two offenders.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact DCI Trego at Aylesbury Police Station on 08458 505505 or, if you don't want to talk to police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

The Bucks Herald is compiling a tribute article for Mr Charkaui, and anyone with tributes is urged to contact the paper.

Some of the comments so far:

To who it may concern,

I am a close family friend living in Barcelona, and best friend of the murder victims sister.
This is a tragedy, and has left a close knit family devasted. All I can say is that Mustafa was loved dearly by his family and will be sadly missed by all who had the fortune to meet him. He was a very kind special man, who would help anyone in need.

Kind regards

His sister Menanna and family friend Kim.

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Dear Uncle Mustapha,

I am extremely saddened by what these heartless people have done to
you and to aunt Krystina.
Moreover I am angry and shocked, because it is a sad reflection on
humanity.

Uncle Mustapha, I will make sure that we will shame these people if
we will find them.
I will personally confront these sick and heartless people if they
will ever be found & locked up and I want to know why they did
this???? I won't stop till we find the complete truth behind this
horrific murder.

I know you are in a good place now, I can feel that and I also know
that your positive spirit will be with us forever.

Dua - Prayer for Peace:

Allahumma antassalamu, wa minkas salaamu wa ilaika yarjaus salaamu; Haiyinna rabbana bis Salaami, wa adhkilna dar us Salaami Abu Dawud 2:62, Ibn Majah 2:1267, At - Tirmidhi 5:515, Ahmad 5:360

Translation:

O Allah! You are peace, and All Peace is from You and all Peace
returns to You.
Grant us to live with the salutation of Peace, and lead us to your
abode of Peace...
Abu Dawud 2:62, Ibn Majah 2:1267, At - Tirmidhi 5:515, Ahmad 5:360

My prayers are with you non stop and I will keep on telling your
story until we find justice.
You will be missed by your beloved and I will sing & dedicate my
songs to you from now on.
I hope you will hear me from where ever you are...

Love,

Your niece,

Rajae El Mouhandiz

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My dear uncle Mustapha,

I can not believe that you are gone .....,but then I realize that I will never hear your gentle voice again.... I can never hug you, and when springtime arrives, you will never come and visit your family in Holland again


You loved to come for a quick visit during springtime, you would admire the landscapes filled with daffodils, hyacints and aspecially the tulips, but that will not happen again..... I realize now!!

You are indeed stolen from us!!!

Ihsan el Mouhandiz.

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Dear Uncle Mustapha,

We had planned for the next coming summer holydays to make a roundtrip trough morocco especially to Al-Tain, I realize now it will never happen.

You were beside an uncle, a father figure and a friend for me to whom I could say everything. I have never seen you angry or mad about anything. The smile in your face was always there and did never leave you what ever the circumstances were. We hoped you would make it through, but the damage which was done to you was too serious. We feel deeply in our hard you are stolen from us. The feeling we have inside is emptiness, disillusion and disbelieve.

Hoping the persons who did steel you from us, will realize what kind of act they did to us all and if it all was worthwhile??????

We will all remember you as a great man with a great personality.

Your cousin, Abdel-Ali El Mouhandiz (Amsterdam)

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On reading that you are writing a tribute page to Chris Charkaui, had to write and say how many friends he had within the hospital.

As nurses in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, working on a ward adjacent to where Chris worked, we came across him many times on a normal working day. He always had a smile and a cheery 'hello' for you, even if the weather was terrible or it was very early.

He was a kind man and although not known very well to the nurses on our
ward, we are all shocked and saddened to hear of his death.
Our thoughts are with his family at this terrible time....his death is a great loss.

Ward 9
Stoke Mandeville Hospital

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Sometimes it is not what people do that counts, sometimes it is not how they act that counts, or how they react that counts, sometimes it is simply what they say that is remembered throughout ones life.

Mustapha was an individual whom would not say very much but when he did he spoke passionately and with pride.

A hardworking gentleman full of aspiration and self belief. He will be remembered by me for those kind and thoughtful words "Strive to fulfil your destiny be determined in gaining the very best".

Will be dearly missed by a work colleague and most significantly a friend.

Ahtiq Raja

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