Man guilty of murdering Porsche driver amid outbreak of ‘Wild West’ violence

A man has been found guilty of stabbing a Porsche driver to death in scenes likened to the “Wild West”.

Awad Abdel Samad, 24, had claimed he acted in self defence when he killed Mohamed Abdi, 21, during an outbreak of violence in central London’s bustling Edgware Road on the evening of last June 4.

On Wednesday, a jury rejected the explanation and found Abdel Samad, of Westminster, guilty of murder.

The jury, which deliberated for around six hours, also found Mohamad Mahmoud El-Hazzaa, 26, from Westminster, guilty of perverting the course of justice.

Previously, prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC had told jurors there was “a lot going on” in CCTV of the incident which also captured a man shooting himself in the foot.

He told jurors: “It is, you might have thought, like something from the Wild West.”

The incident involved the occupants of two cars who knew each other and were heading in the same direction in heavy traffic.

Mr Emlyn Jones said: “Their coming together, in that moment, led to an immediate outbreak of serious armed violence, in full view of terrified passers-by and, importantly, in full view of a CCTV camera.”

Abdel Samad was in the front passenger seat of a Seat Leon, which was being driven by El-Hazzaa, jurors heard.

The victim, Mr Abdi, was driving a Porsche Cayenne, which he pulled close up behind the defendants’ car, flashing his lights.

Mr Emlyn Jones said: “Both cars came to a stop. Immediately, the defendant Samad jumped out and ran to the car behind.

“He was armed with a knife. He went first to the front passenger door, and banged on the window. He then ran around the front of the car towards the driver’s door.

“Mohamed Abdi clearly saw him coming, and got out. The two of them then started to fight – Mohamed Abdi was also armed with a knife.

“But within a few seconds of the start of their fighting, the defendant gained a crucial advantage.

“He swung a kick and managed to kick Mohamed Abdi’s knife out of his hand, on to the road. So that meant that now, only one of them had a knife – the defendant.”

The disarmed victim retreated and got back into the Porsche, pursued by the defendant, who reached him before he shut the car door, jurors were told.

Mr Emlyn Jones said: “Leaning in through the open door, the defendant attacked Mohamed Abdi, striking him repeatedly. But these were not punches – he was swinging his knife at his victim. And he hit the target.

“One of his blows resulted in a stab wound to the centre of Mohamed Abdi’s chest, with the knife passing through the cartilage of his rib cage, into his chest cavity, and into his heart.”

The victim managed to drive forward into Bell Street, briefly knocking over the defendant, who got up and tried to slash a tyre on the Porsche.

As the defendant made off in the Seat Leon, Mr Abdi came to a halt on the side street where he died, despite efforts of members of the public and paramedics.

As Mr Abdi was attacked, another occupant of the defendants’ car and two people in the Porsche, also began to fight, the court was told.

Mr Emlyn Jones said: “What makes it even more shocking is that one of the men in the Porsche, who got out of the back seat, had a gun which he waved around and eventually fired.

“Fortunately for all of those in the vicinity, the only person he managed to injure was himself, because he actually, literally, shot himself in the foot.”

The defendants, who are in custody, will be sentenced by Judge Lynn Tayton KC on November 13.