Asadiq Mohamed killed trying to reclaim stolen chains, court hears
- Published
A 23-year-old man was stabbed to death after he tried to get his gold chains back from a group of youths who robbed him, a court has heard.
Asadiq Mohamed was attacked by the gang on a basketball court in north London on 31 May 2021 and stabbed in the heart as he got back to his feet.
Two men, Nick Kaneza, 20, and Emmanuel Pombo, 19, have denied his murder.
Four others, also appearing at the Old Bailey, are charged with offences including robbery and violent disorder.
Opening the prosecution case, Jane Bickerstaff KC said Mr Mohamed had been walking with a friend, Khalil Nasir, into Silkstream Park in Edgware, north London.
They were then spotted and deliberately followed by a group of teenagers.
"The sole intention of the group as they followed Asadiq and Khalil was to rob Asadiq of the gold chains he wore around his neck," the Old Bailey heard.
Once inside the park the group of males split into two groups and formed a "pincer movement", surrounding and trapping Mr Mohamed.
The prosecutor said that one of the males grabbed three gold chains he was wearing and ripped them from his neck.
'Vicious assault'
The group then returned to a basketball court from where they had come, and Mr Mohamed went after them to try to recover the chains.
Mr Mohamed was then subjected to a "vicious group assault" because he "had the temerity to try and recover his gold chains from them".
"During the course of that assault and having deliberately armed himself with a knife, Mr Kaneza delivered the fatal stab wound," said Jane Bickerstaff KC.
The prosecution alleges that Mr Pombo, then 16 years old, had passed the knife to Mr Kaneza immediately before.
Mr Kaneza, from Edgware, north west London, denies charges of murder and violent disorder.
Mr Pombo, from Hemel Hempstead, denies murder, robbery and violent disorder.
The others facing charges are:
Mohamed Yusuf, 21, from Capitol Way, Edgware, who has pleaded guilty to robbery but denies violent disorder
A 17-year-old, from north-west London, who cannot be named, who is charged with robbery and violent disorder
Tavell Hall, 20, from Swanage Way, Hayes, west London, who is charged with robbery
Amani Williams, 20, from Lancaster Close, Edgware, who has pleaded guilty to violent disorder but denies robbery
The trial continues.