Finsbury Park stabbing: Man guilty of Deliveroo driver road rage murder

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

A man has been convicted of murdering a Deliveroo driver who was fatally stabbed in a road rage attack in north London.

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

Nathan Smith, 28, denied murdering the Algerian national but was found guilty following a trial at the Old Bailey.

The jury heard Smith, who was driving a van, was "not prepared to let matters rest" after an argument broke out.

The trial was told both men had turned right into Lennox Road when something happened that upset Mr Boudhane who drove alongside the van.

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

Nathan Smith was found guilty of murder

The jury was told that seconds later, Smith stopped in Charteris Road where Mr Boudhane and another moped rider had parked.

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

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

Mr Evans said: "As 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."

Mr Boudhane was stabbed to death on 3 January 2020

Despite suffering a 7.5cm (3 in) wound, Mr Boudhane ran after Smith and hit the side of the van with his crash helmet as he drove off, the court was told.

He then collapsed and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Meanwhile, Smith drove home and said nothing to his family about what had happened, before taking a flight from Luton airport to Austria the next day using his brother's passport and bank card.

He was detained at Heathrow Airport last year having been the subject of a European Arrest Warrant for 17 months.

Smith, of Archway, had told the jury he had acted "defensively" and was only "intending to scare" his victim.

He was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on 25 August.

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