A Gang member who stabbed to death a teenager in front of Oxford Street shoppers on Boxing Day was today cleared of murder.
Jermaine Joseph, 23, was found not guilty of the murder or manslaughter of Seydou Diarrasouba after an Old Bailey jury accepted that he had acted in self-defence.
Mr Diarrasouba, 18, from Mitcham, was stabbed through his liver and heart with such force that the knife broke after confronting rival gang members inside a packed Footlocker shop.
The business studies student was seen clutching his chest as he stumbled outside before collapsing on the pavement. He was pronounced dead at the scene within 15 minutes.
Joseph, Thulani Thomas Khumalo, 20, and at least four others were caught on CCTV at Bond Street Tube station walking to the Footlocker store that Mr Diarrasouba and his friends had just left.
The court heard that there was “bad blood” between Joseph — known as “Joker” — and Diarrasouba — known as “Nutz” — going back several years. Joseph ran into the shop when he realised that Diarrasouba and his friends had spotted him. Diarrasouba gave chase and the pair confronted each other inside the shop where the stabbing took place.
“You may have thought one of the few times and places in this country where people could go about their business in peace was in the West End of the capital on Boxing Day,” Mark Heywood, prosecuting, told the court.
The court heard that Diarrasouba was a senior member of the All About Money gang, based in Stockwell and Mitcham.
Joseph was a former member of the 031 gang, also based in Stockwell, and had asked the probation service to rehouse him from Mitcham to Tottenham in April last year because he was being targeted by Diarrasouba and his gang.
Khumalo, of Finsbury Park, was also found not guilty of the murder or manslaughter charges.
