A plumber who stabbed a Deliveroo driver to death in a road rage attack and then spent 17 months on the run in Europe has been found guilty of murder.
Nathan Smith, 28, swung out with a knife and stabbed part-time delivery driver Takieddine Boudhane, 30, in the chest in a shocking attack that was captured on CCTV.
Smith, in a white van, and Boudhane, who was riding a moped, both made a right turn in Finsbury Park, north London, on the evening of 3 January 2020.
Boudhane, who was also a chef, was upset by Smith’s manoeuvre and words were exchanged between the two, before the 28-year-old left his van with a knife in his hand, jurors were told.
Smith went “on the attack” with the blade and Boudhane used his crash helmet to ward him off.
Describing CCTV footage of the incident, prosecutor Julian Evans QC said: “As Smith ran towards him, Takieddine swung his crash helmet towards Smith. This action, […] say the prosecution, was defensive.
“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.”
Boudhane suffered a 7.5cm wound, but despite his injury he ran after Smith and hit the side of his van with his crash helmet as he drove off.
The 30-year-old then collapsed and despite the efforts of paramedics he died at the scene, the court heard.
Smith returned home and did not tell his family about the incident, then the next day took a flight from Luton airport to Austria using his brother’s passport and bank card.
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.
Officers went on to recover Smith’s van and found bloodstains matching the victim’s DNA.
An arrest warrant for issued for him in February 2020. He travelled back to the UK from Lisbon, Portugal, with British officers on 3 June 2021, after evading justice in Europe for 17 months.
During his trial, Smith, of Archway, north London, claimed he had acted “defensively” after the victim produced a screwdriver.
He told jurors he was “scared” and “did not remember intending to hit him with a knife”.
The jury rejected Smith’s claim of self-defence and found him guilty of murder.
Smith has been remanded into custody until sentencing on Thursday 25 August.
