A man was stabbed in an alleged revenge killing in front of “horrified” witnesses who were sitting in vehicles nearby, a court has heard.
Keelen Wong, 22, was attacked on the afternoon of October 3 last year in Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, south-west London, by 23-year-old Kyiza Sandiford and two 16-year-olds, a trial at the Old Bailey was told.
Prosecutor Jacob Hallam KC alleged Sandiford “struck the blow” and said he did so with a knife that was “jointly owned” with the other two defendants.
“From conversations that (the 16-year-old defendants) had, which were recovered by the police in the course of their investigation, it would appear that the killing of Mr Wong was in response to the earlier murder of an associate of the defendants,” Mr Hallam said.
Mr Wong was leaning into a Volkswagen Polo speaking to its driver when three attackers ran towards him “with their hoods up and their faces obscured”, the court heard.
A woman, who was sitting in a car directly behind the Polo, witnessed the events.
“It unfolded literally directly in front of a horrified motorist called Kate Campbell,” Mr Hallam said.
“She was sitting in a queue of traffic lights, waiting for the lights to change.”
Dashcam on Ms Campbell’s car “recorded everything”, the court heard.
The footage was played to jurors, with the prosecutor issuing them a warning beforehand that “it is inevitably, of course, shocking to see footage of a man being stabbed to death on a street in this, your city”.
Jurors also heard that a man in a nearby taxi, David Livingstone, witnessed the events.
Mr Livingstone heard the alleged stabber say to Mr Wong, “You think I wouldn’t catch you?” before the attack, the prosecutor told the court.
Mr Hallam added: “The horrified Mr Livingstone got out of the taxi to see what he could do to help.”
Mr Wong suffered a wound that was “at least 26cm deep”, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sandiford, of Merton, south-west London, and the two other defendants all deny murder and having an article with a blade or point, with one of the 16-year-olds denying a further charge of having an article with a blade or point.
The trial continues.
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