Marcel Addai, 18, died “surrounded by enemies” from a rival gang, the Old Bailey heard on Tuesday at the start of the trial for his murder.
Seven men are accused of murdering Mr Addai of Hoxton on 4 September last year.
Mark Heywood QC for the prosecution told the crown court that Mr Addai was killed after he was “put to the floor and stabbed and slashed multiple times” in the chest, torso and thighs.
Sodiq Adebayo, 23, and David Oladimeji, 21, of Ilford, appeared in court alongside other defendants Rickell Rogers, 21, and Momar Faye, 19, of Hoxton; Eugene Ocran, 19, of Haggerston; Akeem Gbadamosi, 22, of Clapton; and Sheku Jallow, 23, of Seven Sisters Road.
“Violent purpose”
Setting out their case, the prosecution said many of the men involved were connected to “The Fellows Court” gang. Mr Addai is reported to have been a member of the “Hoxton Boys”, a rival gang.
Mr Heywood said Marcel Addai was “killed because of where he was and because of his connection to the ‘Hoxton Boys’”.
“At least some of these defendants can be shown to have association with ‘The Fellows Court’,” Mr Heywood added. “This [case] has a very firm street gang background.”
The group are accused of killing Mr Addai near his home at Wenlock House on Evelyn Walk in Hoxton, driving to the scene in three cars.
“They went there for a common, violent purpose,” Mr Heywood continued. “They chased him down – cornering him. They attacked him – they kept at their work until he was mortally injured.”
Mr Heywood told the court that the defendants exchanged calls and text messages in the build up to the attack. On the night of the killing, the seven men all met at Mr Oladimeji’s flat at Axon Place in Ilford, he added.
The prosecution told the court the group arrived in three cars, chasing down and cornering Mr Addai.
Defendants deny
Mr Heywood told the jury that the police investigation and CCTV footage had already confirmed the seven men were at the scene: “No-one could deny they were there,” he added. “The issue is, was each man party to the plan?”
Mr Heywood said the seven defendants “each now says that although he was there he did nothing or knows nothing of what happened”.
Each of the defendants denies murdering Mr Addai.
The case continues.
Image credit: Metropolitan Police
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