The family of an aspiring accountant stabbed to death in west London said he was set upon after being involved in a fight with two men who then called for “reinforcements”.
Taqui Khezihi, 21, died after being stabbed through the heart when he was set upon in Ealing Broadway. His brother Bourhane, 24, was also stabbed but survived.
They had gone to a Costcutters supermarket five minutes from their home on August 6 when they were confronted by two men, their family said.
The brothers tried to defuse the situation by explaining they were fasting as it was Ramadan, but one of the men used his phone to call for back-up.
The family said: “A few minutes later, a car arrived at the scene and four men equipped with knives joined the fight and surrounded Bourhane and Taqui and punched them repeatedly. Then, others came from behind and stabbed both Bourhane and Taqui.
“Taqui received a fatal stab wound to the back which was a direct hit to the heart.” Mr Khezihi, a French/Algerian national, had been living in London since 1995.
Four men — Tayyib Younis, 19, from Ealing, Cameron Ferguson, 19, from Southall and Alex Henry, 20, and Janhelle Grant-Murray, 19, from Hanwell — have been remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on October 29 charged with murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.
Mr Khezihi was planning to pursue a chartered accountant qualification and ran a small accountancy and IT firm. His family said they were “utterly shocked by this atrocious crime”.
They added: “Taqui was a bright young man full of ambition and had a warm relationship with those surrounding him. He would never harm anyone. They were victims of a random assault.”
