A 18-year-old was chased and stabbed to death in broad-daylight by a masked teenage boy who had armed himself a 22-inch-long machete, the Old Bailey heard.
Ghulam Sadiq was fatally stabbed in the back in an alleged attack by Emadh Miah, who had set out that day with the weapon hidden in his trousers.
Jurors at the Old Bailey heard Miah, then 17, waited for Mr Sadiq outside his family home in Leytonstone.
He was wearing a Covid mask with his hood pulled up tightly around his face, and had donned surgical gloves before the alleged attack, the court heard.
Miah has admitted manslaughter but denies murder, arguing his responsibility for the stabbing was diminished by mental disorders.
“On August 6, 2022, Ghulam Sadiq was stabbed and killed. At the time of his death, he was just 18 years of age”, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told the court.
“The person who killed him was the defendant, Emadh Miah. On that day, he had travelled to Leytonstone where Ghulam Sadiq lived.
“He took with him a knife, with a blade some 22 inches in length – perhaps better described as a machete – He had that knife concealed down his trousers.
“Although it was a beautiful sunny day, he was wearing a puffa jacket and a hooded top with the hood of both garments up and pulled around his face, which was concealed behind a surgical face mask. And he was wearing gloves.”
Jurors heard Miah, who used to live in east London but now lives in Solihull, West Midlands, had travelled back to London two days before the stabbing.
Ms Heer said he hired a Santander hire bike on the day of the attack and used it to travel to Leytonstone “where he saw Ghulam Sadiq who was also out and about on his bike.
“It seems they spoke to one another, before Sadiq cycled away”, said the prosecutor.
Miah then went to Mr Sadiq’s family home, in a cul-de-sac off Leytonstone High Road where he waited.
“When Ghulam Sadiq arrived, the defendant followed him and took out his knife. Mr Sadiq cycled away again”, said Ms Heer.
“The defendant returned to (the road) where he got off his bike. As he was standing there, knife in hand, Ghulam Sadiq came around the corner.
“Upon seeing the defendant, he stopped and tried to cycle away again but on this occasion the defendant ran after him, caught up with him, and stabbed him in the back.
“Having done so, he replaced the knife into the waistband of his trousers and cycled away as Ghulam Sadiq lay dying.”
The court heard Miah, now 18, does not dispute being responsible for Mr Sadiq’s death and has admitted he is guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter.
“He denies that he intended to kill Ghulam Sadiq or even to cause him any serious harm”, said the prosecutor. “Alternatively, the defence will submit that, at the time of the killing, he was suffering from a mental disorder which meant that his responsibility for the killing was diminished or reduced.
“The prosecution accepts that Mr Miah is a young man who suffers from mental health disorders. However, the prosecution case is that those disorders do not explain the killing, nor do they reduce his responsibility for it.
“It is the prosecution’s case that when he stabbed Ghulam Sadiq, the defendant did so deliberately, intending to cause him at least really serious bodily harm, if not to kill and, as such he is guilty not merely of manslaught but he is guilty of murder.”
Miah is being supported in the dock by an intermediary to help him follow the court process.
He denies murder. The trial continues.
