Deliveroo driver stabbed in road rage killing, jury told

Takieddine Boudhane worked as a delivery driver for companies Deliveroo and Uber Eats

A Deliveroo driver was fatally stabbed in a road rage attack by a van driver who was "not prepared to let matters rest", a court has heard.

Takieddine Boudhane, 30, died following the confrontation in Finsbury Park, north London, on 3 January 2020.

His alleged attacker, 28-year-old plumber Nathan Smith, fled to Austria the next day, a jury at the Old Bailey heard. He returned 17 months later.

Mr Smith denies murdering the chef and delivery driver.

Opening the trial, Julian Evans QC said Mr Boudhane had been riding a moped while Mr Smith was in a van.

Both turned right into Lennox Road when something happened that upset Mr Boudhane who drove alongside the van, jurors were told.

From CCTV footage, it appeared the men exchanged words and the encounter was "not a friendly one", Mr Evans said.

Seconds later, Mr Smith stopped in Charteris Road where Mr Boudhane and another moped rider had parked nearby, jurors heard.

Mr Smith acted "aggressively" and emerged with a knife in hand.

Mr Boudhane, who the court heard had a screwdriver, swung his crash helmet in defence, jurors were told.

Mr Boudhane died in the evening of 3 January

When the altercation appeared to be at an end, Mr Smith was "simply not prepared to let things rest there", Mr Evans said.

"When you analyse and consider the sequence of events the CCTV shows, it demonstrates that what Mr Smith continued then to do had nothing whatsoever to do with self-defence," he told the court.

"Rather it shows he was the aggressor. He ran at Takieddine a number of times with knife in hand."

Describing the stabbing, the prosecutor said: "As Mr Smith stepped on to the pavement, he ducked below the swinging crash helmet and swung his knife twice, in quick succession, towards Takieddine's upper body.

"It is the prosecution case that one of those two rapid blows with the knife, each delivered with force, entered Takieddine's chest."

Despite suffering a 7.5cm (3in) wound, Mr Boudhane and the other moped rider ran after Mr Smith and hit the side of the van with their crash helmets as he drove off, the court heard.

Mr Boudhane then collapsed on the ground and despite the efforts of medics, he died at the scene.

Mr Smith fled the UK from Luton Airport

Meanwhile, Mr Smith drove home and said nothing to his family about what had happened, jurors were told.

The next day, he allegedly used his brother's passport and bank card to take a flight from Luton Airport to Austria.

When police searched for him at his parents' address, the defendant's father showed them a video believed to be from his son featuring views of lakes and mountains.

Police went on to recover Mr Smith's van and found bloodstains matching the victim's DNA, the jury heard.

In February 2020, an arrest warrant was issued for Mr Smith. On 3 June 2021, the defendant met British police officers at Lisbon International Airport who accompanied him back to the UK.

The trial continues.