A Somali immigrant has been found guilty of stabbing a handyman to death then volunteering to be deported back to his home country to evade justice.
Drug dealer Mohammed Abdillahi and his friends attacked Augustus Fenton like a pack of ‘wild animals’ on the afternoon of March 28 as children walked home from school, the Old Bailey heard.
Following a trial, he was convicted of Mr Fenton’s manslaughter and wounding his brother with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The jury failed to reach a verdict on a murder charge.
Drug dealer Mohammed Abdillahi (left) and his friends attacked Augustus Fenton (right) like a pack of ‘wild animals’ on the afternoon of March 28 as children walked home from school, the Old Bailey heard
The group were captured on CCTV as they chased the 27-year-old victim down the street in Southall, west London, then punched and kicked him.
Having briefly given them the slip and called his brother for help, Mr Fenton began to walk towards his home but was spotted by three of the group who ran at him again.
Mr Fenton was stabbed several times as well as being hit with fists, feet and other weapons.
When his older brother Elijah came to his rescue, he too was stabbed and beaten up by the group, jurors heard.
Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow QC had said: ‘Whatever the reason for this shocking incident, the young men involved did not care that it was the middle of the afternoon and that much of what happened took place in full view of horrified members of the public, including children who were on their way home from school.
‘For no obvious reason, the defendant and his friends acted like wild animals that afternoon. Their pack mentality saw them chase their victim, attack him with weapons and then turn on his rescuer.
‘Augustus Fenton was powerless to defend himself against such brutality and it was only good fortune that meant his brother, Elijah Fenton, did not suffer the same fate.’
The jury at the Old Bailey (pictured) was told the cause of the dispute may have been connected with drugs as Abdillahi was a known dealer
The brothers suffered serious injuries, but managed to escape to a nearby medical centre where staff attempted to help them.
Augustus Fenton, who lived with his mother in Southall, died the following morning at the Royal London Hospital. Elijah Fenton, 31, was left with permanent damage to one of his hands.
The day after the attack in Featherstone Road, Abdillahi contacted immigration authorities and asked to be flown back to Somalia, only to be arrested a week later.
Mr Glasgow told jurors that three of Abdillahi’s friends had been identified as playing a part in the violence, but police had been unable to find them.
The defendant and his friends acted like wild animals
Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow QC
The 25-year-old defendant, who was served deportation papers in 2013, had denied murder and wounding but pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
Giving evidence, he said he had hit Mr Fenton because he had made a racist remark, but he denied being involved in the final murderous assault.
The jury was told the cause of the dispute may have been connected with drugs as Abdillahi was a known dealer.
A jury deliberated for more than 16 hours to convict the defendant, of no fixed address.
At an earlier hearing, it emerged the defendant had a previous conviction in 2012 for supplying heroin for which he was handed two years in a young offenders institute.
Abdillahi, who bowed his head following the verdicts, was remanded into custody to be sentenced by Judge Anthony Leonard QC on Thursday.