Anthony Adekola: M&S worker 'killed at random' on way home

Anthony Adekola finished his shift at 21:00 BST

A Marks & Spencer worker was "killed at random" as he walked home after his shift, a court has heard.

Anthony Adekola, 22, was stabbed to death near his house in Colindale, north-west London, last September.

Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones QC said the alleged background to the murder was a postcode rivalry between groups in NW4 and NW9.

Tajaun Subaran, 19, and Christian Medina, 20, both from Hendon, and two 17-year-olds deny murder.

There was no evidence of any connection between Anthony Adekola and his attackers, the Old Bailey jury heard.

Anthony Adekola had left the branch of Marks and Spencer in Colindale where he worked at 21:00 BST on 5 September 2020.

As he approached his home, two taxis had pulled up and eight young men got out.

After a brief conversation Mr Adekola had turned and run away, but seven of the group had chased him into an alleyway where he was "brutally attacked" the prosecutor said.

'Ride out'

He was stabbed at least nine times before the group ran back to their waiting taxis and left.

"Given that there is no evidence of any personal connection between him and any of them, we are left with the dreadful prospect that he was selected and killed at random," said Mr Emlyn Jones.

The group had come from and returned to Hendon in the neighbouring postcode of NW4 and their victim was in NW9, the jury heard.

"It is the prosecution case that the defendants were on a raid into enemy territory, something known as a 'ride out'" Mr Jones said.

"When they got to NW9 it didn't matter to them who they stabbed."

"What mattered was it showed their NW9 rivals that they could turn up on enemy territory and stab who they liked - and that is what they did."

The trial continues.