Teens 'gave each other a fist bump' after stabbing victim to death, court told

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Two teenagers fist-bumped in celebration after they had stabbed an 18-year-old to death “for no obvious reason”, the Old Bailey heard.

Patrick Haines, 18, and a 17-year-old boy are both accused of murdering Yusuf Mohamed as he was walking with friends through Shepherd’s Bush and “minding his own business”.

Mr Mohamed was stabbed through the heart and died within 45 minutes of the attack on June 26 last year.

Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones told jurors Haines and the 17-year-old were both caught on camera stabbing Mr Mohamed and greeting each other in an alleyway as they fled.

Yusuf Mohamed, 18, was stabbed to death in a shop in Shepherd's Bush

“They gave each other a little fist bump, as if to say ‘well done us," he said.

Mr Mohamed was walking behind two friends along Uxbridge Road at around 9.20pm when he was stabbed outside a convenience store, crawling backwards through the shop to try to flee from the attackers.

Police cordon in place in Shepherd's Bush
Jeremy Selwyn

Mr Emlyn Jones said Haines and his friend were at a bus stop on the opposite side of the road moments before the alleged murder.

“Suddenly, and for no obvious reason, the two defendants left their bus stop and crossed the road towards Yusuf and his friends”, he said.

“Each of them was carrying a large knife. As they reached the opposite side of the road they took their knives out.

“Yusuf Mohamed had no time to run away or do anything to protect himself and unlike his attackers Yusuf was not carrying a weapon – he stood no chance.”

He said Haines had a knife tucked into his waistband “for ready access” is accused of delivering the blow with “brutal efficiency” to Mr Mohamed’s chest.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified due to his age, then took out a knife from his rucksack, following the wounded victim into the store and stabbing him in the leg as he tried to crawl to safety.

Police in Uxbridge Road
Jeremy Selwyn

“He obviously, despite the success of attack carried out by Haines, wanted his own piece of the action, he wanted to join in”, said the prosecutor.

He told jurors: “The prosecution haven’t been able to identify any reason for Yusuf’s murder. There doesn’t even appear to have been any sort of argument.

“Yusuf at first didn’t even seem to react to the defendant’s presence next to him until the last moment when he realised what they were doing.

Forensic officers in Shepherd's Bush
Nigel Howard

“They simply approach him stabbed him and they killed him.”

Jurors heard both defendants had been planning to deny they were the attackers. However, the 17-year-old has now pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a knife but continues to deny murder.

Haines, from Acton, denies murder but has admitted he is the man who stabbed Mr Mohamed in the chest. Mr Emlyn Jones said Haines’ defence is he had been drinking and cannot remember the stabbing.

The trial continues.

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