Killer faces jail for knifing teenager in the neck outside Sainsbury’s

A killer who stabbed a teenager in the neck outside a Sainsbury’s supermarket is facing jail.

Tyrese Jennings, 21, knifed 18-year-old Yusuf Mohamoud to death in Regents Park Road, Finchley, on 7 August last year.

Mr Mohamoud was able to run away and paramedics attended but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jennings was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter by an Old Bailey jury today (thurs) after 22 hours and 54 minutes of deliberation.

He claimed he stabbed Mr Mohamoud in self-defence as he feared he would be stabbed himself.

A knife was found on Mr Mohamoud’s body but CCTV did not show that he had shown it to Jennings.

A 17-year-old and a 16-year-old, who cannot be identified, denied and were cleared of murder and manslaughter.

They were accused of spotting Mr Mohamoud in a restaurant and calling Jennings who came to the scene with a knife to kill him.

They wept with joy as they were allowed to leave the dock.

Jennings, with a loose tie around his neck, showed no emotion but stared at the jury, some of whom cried, as the judge told him he would face an inevitably long sentence.

Judge Mark Dennis, KC, said he will sentence Jennings on 27 August.

The killer has convictions for 12 offences between 2020 and 2022 including robbery in 2020 and possession of drugs.

Earlier prosecutor Alan Gardner, KC, said: ’Yusuf was able to run away from Tyrese Jennings a short distance after he was stabbed.

‘He collapsed just across the road. The stab wound to his neck had cut his carotid artery.

‘It proved to be fatal. Despite medical intervention Yusuf was declared dead at the scene just a short time later.’

Jennings fled the scene after the stabbing, the court heard.

Mr Mohamoud had arrived and parked outside Sainsbury’s in a car with three friends just after 9pm and gone into Vibez, a Caribbean restaurant.

Mr Gardner said Mr Mohamoud then went to a cash point near Sainsbury’s and was approached by the 16-year-old and another male on their bikes.

Mr Gardner said: ‘One of the issues for you to consider in this case will be why it was Tyrese Jennings left his home for a short walk around the corner armed with a knife.

‘The prosecution case is that he did so because he planned to use it in a murderous attack, on one or more of the group of individuals in the restaurant.

‘For some reason, their presence was something he took objection to.

‘The prosecution say that Yusuf Mohamoud did nothing to indicate that he presented any threat to Tyrese Jennings.

‘He was on his own. The others in his group had left and crossed the road. Yusuf Mohamoud was outnumbered three to one.

‘He did not make any movement to suggest he was about to assault or harm Tyrese Jennings.

‘Tyrese Jennings stabbed Yusuf Mohamoud in the neck using severe force. It was a completely unexpected and unprovoked attack.

‘Yusuf Mohamoud had no chance to defend himself or ward off the blow. His reaction was to immediately run away, across the road towards Sainsbury’s, no doubt desperate to get away from Tyrese Jennings.

‘You will hear medical evidence that despite the severity of the injury Yusuf would have been capable of movement, even running, in the immediate aftermath before the catastrophic bleeding caused by the knife brought about his collapse.’

Jennings, of Lichfield Grove, Finchley, denied but was convicted of manslaughter.

He was cleared of murder.

The two teenagers denied and were cleared of murder and manslaughter.
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