KAMARA: ALLEGED KNIFEMAN MIMES MURDER PLEA

A father accused of stabbing a man to death in an row over his child used impromptu sign language to deny murder today (fri) after a court video-link broke down.

Paul Kamara, 28, could hear court staff but a technical glitch in the connection between the Old Bailey and HMP Belmarsh meant no one could hear what he was saying.

The 28-year-old grinned after Judge Stephen Kramer QC smiled and gave him two thumbs up in response to the alleged killer raising his hand to show he could hear proceedings.

‘I think we can deal with arraignment by way of sign language,’ Judge Kramer told his lawyer.

‘Mr Kamara, well you raise your hand if the answer is ‘not guilty’ and raise both hands if the answer is ‘guilty’.’

Seconds later, as Kamara complied, he added: ‘He has raised one hand, and that signifies ‘not guilty’.’

Kamara is accused of stabbing Paulo Lutumba, 25, to death in Enfield, north London, on April 25 this year.

Mr Lutumba, from the Andover Estate in Holloway, suffered a knife wound to the heart and was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is claimed Mr Lutumba had gone to the defendant’s house with Kamara’s girlfriend in an attempt to collect her and Kamara’s child from the address.

Kamara, of Southbury Avenue, Enfield, denies murder and is to stand trial on October 10 this year.

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