Horror attack in Plaistow

A teenager almost disemboweled a man in a park in front of the victim’s foster mother, a court heard.

Kaleb Amponsah, 18, plunged a kitchen knife 12cm into Ade Afariogun’s stomach in Plaistow Park, east London, leaving Mr Afariogun’s intestines hanging out.

The 27-year-old victim had only just been released from prison, and was having lunch with the woman he considered to be his mother when he was attacked.

Amponsah, a known drug dealer in the area, had been seen staring angrily at his alleged victim as he cycled round the park on 29 January this year.

He then blocked Mr Afariogun’s path with his bike, starting a scuffle between him and the victim, before stabbing him in the belly.

Ann Marie Rosemond – the mother of Mr Afariogun’s best friend and the woman he called ‘mum’ – desperately tried to grab at Amponsah’s hood to stop him.

Witnesses saw Ms Rosemond pulling Amponsah’s hood over his eyes while he reached for the knife tucked in his waistband, the Old Bailey heard.

Amponsah fled the scene on foot, abandoning his bike next to Mr Afariogun.

After changing his clothes, Amponsah returned to selling drugs the same afternoon, it is claimed.

The victim was rushed to Royal London Hospital where he was given emergency surgery, but died on 1 February from massive blood loss.

Amponsah, who lives in Canning Town with his parents, spent a lot of time in Plaistow Park and a nearby block of flats, Nicholls Point, selling drugs, jurors were told.

On the day of the killing, he was caught leaving Nicholls Point at 1.02pm, wheeling his bike, before cycling in the direction of Plaistow Park.

His DNA was also found on the bike abandoned at the scene.

Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow said: ‘Kaleb Amponsah cycled past Ade Afariogun on several occasions, he stared angrily at him, as if trying to provoke a reaction.

‘The victim and his friends spoke about it, but none of them said or did anything to encourage this defendant to make him continue to stare at Mr Afariogun in an aggressive and angry manner.’

He continued: ‘This defendant cycled up to him and stopped his bike in front of him, and when he did so he started a confrontation.

‘A scuffle ensued and they exchanged blows, a woman [Ms Rosemond] tried to pull him off the victim, but he stabbed him the stomach, with the wound going 12cm deep.

‘The injuries it caused were catastrophic, and no sooner had this defendant stabbed Mr Afariogun, he fled – he ran away from the scene leaving his bike behind.’

Mr Glasgow told the court that the victim had been relying heavily on Ms Rosemond since his release from prison, and she had been buying food for him and cooking his meals.

He had been out with her and her daughter Lindell when he was stabbed.

‘The victim told Ms Rosemond the defendant had been staring at him, and had been doing it in a hostile manner, with a “screw face” and they decided to leave the park.’

‘Ms Rosemond saw the defendant stop his bike and confront the victim, and heard Mr Afariogun ask him what it was he wanted.

‘She saw the defendant holding something in the waist band of his trousers – she grabbed hold of the defendants hood and pulled him away to try and stop the fight.’

Amponsah admits killing Mr Afariogun, but insists he was acting in self-defence, and that the victim brought the knife to the scene.

Mr Glasgow said: ‘If the prosecution are wrong and it was not this defendant who started the confrontation, it was not this defendant who was armed with a knife, and it was not this defendant who attacked Ade Afariogun for no reason; then you might want to consider why on earth it was only on 29 June – five months after the stabbing – that the defendant actually bothered to tell the prosecution what his defence was.’

Amponsah, of Robertson Road, Canning Town, denies murder.

The trial continues.