‘Annoying’ Bulgarian student killed by teenagers

An ‘annoying’ Bulgarian student was stabbed to death by three teenagers who were angered by his drunken antics on a bus, a court heard.

Gabriel Stoyanov, 21, had flicked a 16-year-old’s ear and punched him in the stomach, the court heard.

The teenagers armed themselves with a bottle, a motorbike chain and a knife before cornering and stabbing Mr Stoyanov in the chest, jurors were told.

Surgery was carried out on the street to remove his lung but he died in hospital the next day.

Alfie Kibble, 18, and two teenagers, aged 15 and 16, who cannot be named, deny murdering Mr Stoyanov in Bromley Road, Downham, southeast London.

Prosecutor Edward Brown, KC, said: ‘Gabriel was killed for being little more than drunk and annoying – perhaps very annoying.

‘However, nothing he did reasonably justified being attacked and killed.’

Mr Stoyanov boarded the 181 bus drunk with a friend at 11.04pm on 4 November last year.

‘It is clear from the CCTV footage that Gabriel was drunk – he had been seen in a pub in Sydenham that night and was described as “on a high”.

‘It hasn’t been possible to track all his movements before the bus journey but considerable alcohol had plainly been consumed by him before the bus journey – and its effects were obvious.

‘The three defendants boarded that same bus and also went to the seats at the back.

‘Fortified by drink, Gabriel sought to engage the defendants, and although the defendants do not appear to be unduly troubled by his antics at this stage, his attention was not welcomed.

‘He would flick [the 16-year-old’s] ear.

‘Gabriel can be seen to move between the three defendants and a group of female work friends.

‘Gabriel wouldn’t, it seems leave them all alone.

‘Reaction amongst the females to his behaviour was mixed – some saw it as something to be tolerated and perhaps be amused by and ignored.

‘Another was not best pleased and positively did not feel at ease with the attention she received from Gabriel.

‘He was at the same time rude to one of the girls and in the same breath apologising, whilst to others some of his actions were amusing – he was also seen to be laughing with the three defendants as they tried to ignore him.

‘At other moments he appeared to become louder, saying things like, “do you want me to pull it out?”

‘Something was seen in his hand although from all the evidence not a knife and more likely the top of a small vodka bottle.

‘At one moment he appeared to punch one of the three defendants, likely [the 16-year-old] in the stomach – in fact not with any effective force.

‘At one point the deceased can be seen to lean over towards [the 16-year-old] who was sitting next to the window.

‘He was then pulled away by his friend and taken off the bus.

’It should have been the end of any kind of confrontation.

‘The defendants, looking out at Gabriel and his friend through the window, remained on the bus but not for long.

‘Their actions thereafter show that they had not dismissed Gabriel’s antics for what they were and ignored them – drunken and annoying as they obviously were.’

The defendants got off the bus two stops later and went to the 16-year-old’s home.

The next time they were seen on CCTV the 16-year-old had a knife, Kibble a motorbike chain and the 15-year-old a bottle, the court heard.

They returned to where Mr Stoyanov got off the bus where he had gone inside a takeaway.

‘They were waiting for Gabriel to emerge down that side street.

‘As the deceased left the takeaway and crossed the street, he obviously noticed the defendants and pointed them out to his friend.

‘They came towards him.

‘Stoyanov backed away but as he did [the 15-year-old] can be seen running towards him and throwing the bottle at Gabriel. It hit him.

‘Kibble struck out at him with that large heavy bike chain and it was then [the 16-year-old] who swung the knife at Stoyanov, not once but then again, and this time, successfully- the knife was plunged straight into Gabriel Stoyanov’s chest.

‘As the defendants then ran off away down the street, as they immediately did, leaving Gabriel clutching his chest by now fatally injured – one can actually see the knife still in (the 16-year-old’s) hand.’

The fatal wound had penetrated his lung, the court heard.

Kibble, of Thamesmead, southeast London, and the two teenagers, deny murder and possession of offensive weapons.

The trial continues.

ends