Teenager bags life imprisonment

A teenager who killed a man after he questioned why he was ‘on his strip’ has been jailed.

19-year-old Christian Kuta-Dankwa of Harrow was found guilty of the murder of Mohamoud Mohamed Mahdi following a trial at the Old Bailey which concluded last November.

On Monday, Kuta-Dankwa was sentenced to life imprisonment at the same court with a minimum term of 13 years imprisonment.

An investigation was launched after Mohamoud, aged 28, was stabbed by Kuta-Dankwa with a knife which Mohamoud brought to the scene.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil John, who led the investigation, said: “Kuta-Dankwa will now spend a significant amount of time in jail as a result of his actions that day. He claimed he was acting in self-defence but CCTV clearly showed that Mohamoud was leaving the scene before being chased and fatally stabbed.

“This tragic incident highlights the dangers of carrying knives. We know that those who carry these weapons are more likely to be victim to such violent attacks and that is why tackling violent crime of this kind continues to be the Met’s top priority.”

At around 16:00hrs on Friday, 18 February, Kuta-Dankwa and his friends arrived in Watling Avenue, Edgware.

CCTV shows that shortly afterwards, Mohamoud arrived on the opposite side of the road before walking across and briefly speaking to the defendant.

He then left and ran down nearby streets before returning with a knife – a weapon that would later be used to kill him.

Following an altercation with the defendant, Mohamoud was disarmed and the knife fell into the road, causing him to run away.

Kuta-Dankwa took hold of the weapon and chased after Mohamoud, tackling him to the ground before stabbing him three times in the back and running away.

Emergency services, including an off-duty police officer and doctor, immediately began first aid but despite their efforts Mohamoud died at the scene.

Kuta-Dankwa admitted in court that his friend had been dealing cannabis just before Mohamoud approached them; this was likely the cause of the dispute.

The knife used in the murder was later found on the bed of a stream inside Watling Park, while the sheath was found at the scene of the stabbing.

The following day, Kuta-Dankwa handed himself into police where he admitted stabbing Mohamoud but said he had acted in self-defence.