An alleged murderer issued a chilling death threat to the victim’s brother during a hunt for the missing man, saying straight down a police-issue camera: “You’re dead”, the Old Bailey heard.
Amraj Poonia, 27, is accused of strangling his former friend Mohammed Shah Subhani in a feud over a kilo of missing cannabis, before his body was taken away and dumped.
When Mr Subhani went missing, a group including his brother Ali went to Southall in west London to look for him and became embroiled in a fight with Poonia.
Jurors heard Poonia – nicknamed ‘Bigs’ - is accused of issuing threats to kill Ali and others in the group, before he was handcuffed and put into the back of a police van.
Footage of the arrest was played in the trial, showing Poonia saying “that’s the last time I let Ali Subhani batter me” and telling an officer: “Once I’m out of the police cells make sure you lot watch me yeah.”
Turning directly to the officer’s bodyworn camera, Poonia says: “I understood everything. I’m telling you this on live camera. Ali Subhani you pig rat, snitch, gangster wannabe. You’re dead, yeah.”
Mr Subhani, 27, was reported missing by his family in May 2019, and his remains were later found in a shallow grave in the Buckinghamshire woodland.
Poonia, his younger brother Raneel Poonia, 25, and Gurditta Singh, 26, are accused of murder, while Mohanad Riad, 22, Mahamud Ismail, 26, and Singh’s cousin Mohammed Shakeel, 29, are accused of helping to dispose of the body.
The court has heard Poonia and Mr Subhani fell out over a package of cannabis which was lost.
Mr Subhani – known as ‘Little Man’ – was allegedly murdered at R & J Plumbing on a small industrial estate in Hounslow on May 7, 2019, before his body was wrapped in a carpet, put into the back of a vehicle, and ultimately burnt and dumped in the countryside. Prosecutor Tom Little KC told jurors the circumstances of the death resembled a “grim” Hollywood film.
On Friday, Salwa Kanaan told the court she was part of a search party with Ali Subhani on May 13, 2019 which arrived in Hounslow to collect CCTV and talk to potential witnesses.
She recalled Amraj Poonia walking over and “ripping off his t-shirt” before pulling a knife from his trousers.
“He said ‘I killed him and I’m going to kill you just like I killed your brother’”, she told the court.
“He said ‘You are dying tonight’.”
She said Mr Subhani and another man fled from Poonia, who then issued a death threat to her.
“He looked at me straight in the eyes and said ‘I’m going to kill you’”, she said.
“I was terrified, I was screaming ‘someone call the police, call the police’.”
When police arrived, they found a topless Amraj with a scarf around his neck and nursing an injured finger.
He made comments that were caught on camera after officers heard reports of the incident and the fight with Ali Subhani.
Jurors have been told Poonia accepts killing Mr Subhani but argues it was done in self-defence. His brother and Singh deny involvement in the death. The Poonias and Singh deny murder, Amraj Poonia has admitted perverting the course of justice, but his five co-defendants deny the charge.
The trial continues.
