Hakim Sillah death: Teen stabbed at knife awareness course

Hakim Sillah died of two stab wounds to the chest

A young offender stabbed another teenager to death at a community centre while on a knife awareness course, a court has heard.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named, knifed Hakim Sillah, 18, twice in the chest at the west London centre on 7 November last year, Isleworth Crown Court was told.

Prosecutors said there was "a cruel irony" that Mr Sillah was stabbed while attending a weapons awareness course.

The teenager denies murdering him.

He also denies two counts of wounding with intent and one count of unlawful wounding.

All participants at Hillingdon Civic Centre had been risk assessed before the knife awareness course session

Michelle Nelson QC, prosecuting, said all participants at Hillingdon Civic Centre had been risk assessed before the session, which was run by the Youth Offending Teams (YOTS), and "those classified as high risk were precluded from attending".

"Both the young men must have been risk assessed, but the sad reality is that both attended that course carrying knives," she said.

Mr Sillah was stabbed twice in the chest and had defensive injuries on his hands from trying to take control of the blade, Ms Nelson said.

Despite medical intervention, he died shortly after in hospital.

Pathologists found the proximity of the two chest wounds was "consistent with a rapid sequence of infliction" and indicated the use of "substantial force", the court heard.

Police were called to Hillingdon Civic Centre on High Street in Uxbridge

A "sheathed Rambo knife" was also found three days after the stabbing in an area of woodland close to the defendant's home.

The defendant's blood and DNA was found on the weapon and DNA from the victim was also present, jurors were told.

"That defendant does not dispute killing Hakim Sillah, nor could he," Ms Nelson said.

"He says he did not intend to kill or to cause really serious harm and told the police in his caution interview that he had acted in lawful self-defence. [He] had intended to stab Hakim Sillah in the arm, but he moved.

"The prosecution say the defendant took a deliberate decision to stab the deceased to the chest twice, we say, lawful self-defence does not arise."

The trial continues.