Teen who crashed moped was stabbed, court told

Deonte Mowatt-Slater died in Islington in October 2024

A murder trial has heard that a teenager who crashed his moped into a lamppost in north London, had been fatally stabbed.

Deonte Mowatt-Slater, 16, died at the scene of the crash in Courtauld Road in Islington in the early hours of 22 October.

Francie McCarthy, 22, of Islington, is standing trial at the Old Bailey, accused of murdering the teenager.

The court was told the 16-year-old had been stabbed in the neck and chest. Mr McCarthy denies one count of murder.

At the trial on Monday jurors were told the police and ambulance services were called to what was immediately thought to be a road traffic collision involving a youth on a moped.

Prosecutor Edward Brown KC said: "Deonte had plainly been very badly injured - somehow.

"He was in a grave condition with very few signs of life.

"It transpired, however ... that he had been stabbed to the front of his neck.

"Soon it was discovered that he had been stabbed twice, in fact, he had suffered another stab wound to his chest.

The court was told his condition quickly deteriorated and despite the best efforts of the emergency services the teenager was pronounced dead at 01:16 BST.

Witness 'heard shouting'

The prosecution alleges that Mr McCarthy crossed paths with Mr Mowatt-Slater in Courtauld Road that night, and an altercation ensued during which Mr Mowatt-Slater was stabbed twice before riding off on his moped.

Emergency services were called shortly after midnight by a witness, Rose Galugbo, who was getting home when she heard the revving of an engine followed by a loud crash.

"She went out to see what had happened and found Deonte on the ground," Mr Brown told the jury.

"She thought, understandably, that the victim had crashed his moped.

Another witness, Nel Richards, heard two boys or men shouting before the crash, the court was told.

From her window, she saw a person wearing grey jogging bottoms running away, whom the prosecution alleges was Mr McCarthy.

CCTV footage from the time of the incident was also played to jurors, in which loud revving is heard before a moped is seen travelling fast down the road.

There is a loud bang and a voice is then heard shouting "Come here!" as a man in grey jogging bottoms appears running down the road, seemingly chasing after the moped.

Mr McCarthy denies murder.

The trial continues.