A fraudster was axed to death by a fellow gang mem

A fraudster was axed to death by a fellow gang member after a row over the profits from a massive credit card fraud, the Old Bailey heard today.

(Weds)

Manokumar Kumar, 31, bled to death after his right arm was virtually severed in the attack in his north London home.

The alleged axeman Ruben Thanavalisingham, 19, and the victim were part of a Tamil gang making huge sums from using stolen or ‘cloned’ credit cards to buy goods at petrol stations run by fellow Sri Lankans in London.

But Kumar was murdered by Ruben and Parama ‘Tillac’ Thilagesvaran, 27, after they argued over the spoils from their scams, a jury was told.

After the killing Ruben dumped blood stained clothing at the home of Siluvai ‘Sukri’ Mano, 27.

Mano helped dispose of the incriminating items and let Ruben stay at his east London home, it is claimed.

But detectives were able to recover a jacket soaked with the victim’s blood from the home after the men were arrested.

John Bevan, QC, prosecuting told the court: ‘It was, we suggest, a falling out over the profits of a profitable scheme that appears to provide the motive in this case for murder.

‘

A month before the killing, an angry Ruben went to takeaway food store in Hartford Road, Edmonton looking for Kumar, said the QC.

Kumar was not there but Ruben allegedly told a friend who worked at the shop he would ‘cut’ the victim as he pulled an axe from his waistband and dumped it on the counter.

The pal phoned Kumar to warn him and realising the incident was captured on the shop’s CCTV camera, kept the tape in case anything happened to the victim, said Mr Bevan.

On October 30 last year, Ruben found Kumar and during a dispute the victim was left with a bleeding nose.

Later that evening Ruben, this time with Tillac, sneaked into Kumar’s home in North Road, Edmonton, it was claimed.

‘Ruben attacked Kumar with an axe hitting him a number of times on the head, chest and neck, having gained entry through an open window,’ Mr Bevan said.

‘Kumar’s body was found the next day.

He died from loss of blood from blows to the right elbow that all but severed his right arm, severing the artery from which he bled to death.

‘

Ruben fled to Mano’s home in Barking Road, East Ham where he disposed of most of the bloody clothing and axe.

The alleged killer was arrested when he returned to a temporary address in Moree Way, Edmonton to collect some immigration papers to help him escape to Europe, said Mr Bevan.

Detectives uncovered a wide-scale fraud as the investigation widened, said the QC.

Stolen credit cards swiping machines found revealed a lucrative con.

One examination of cards used by the gang at a Tesco petrol station in Brent Park, Neasden, showed the gang used cards to take over 3,000 worth of goods in just one evening.

‘They (the gang) were all at it.

Swapping cards among themselves, carrying out bent transaction after bent transaction, making a tidy profit for themselves,’ Mr Bevan said.

‘There was a very profitable credit card fraud going on.

‘

The gang would either used stolen or forged, known as ‘cloned’ cards.

One example revealed the sheer scale of the fraud, said Mr Bevan.

A single card, stolen from West Lothian, Scotland, in May last year was used 74 times in north London to obtain pnds stlg 3,120.

77 worth of goods.

Ruben Thanavalisingham, of Moree Way, and Parama Thilagesvaran, of Haselbury Road, both Edmonton, deny murdering Mr Kumar between Ocobter 29 and November 1 last year.

Mano, of Bridgewater Rd, Alperton, denies doing acts tending to pervert the course of public justice between October 29 and November 9 last year.

The trial continues.

ends