Murdered in row over stolen e-bike

Two killers armed with a machete and a Rambo knife are facing life sentences for murdering a rival in a row about a stolen e-bike.

Hamid Mani, 20, was cornered and stabbed 11 times in a garage in Wellesley Road, Harrow, northwest London last summer.

Shakur Idan, 21, decided to ‘settle a score’ after a friend of Mr Mani took his electric bike.

He called Abbas Jean-Pierre, 20, who brought weapons to stab Mr Mani six times in the front and four times in the back.

Idan and Jean-Pierre both denied murder but were convicted by an Old Bailey jury today (tues) after 15 hours and 59 minutes of deliberation.

The pair showed no emotion as they were convicted.

Judge Anthony Leonard, KC, remanded them in custody ahead of sentence on 19 July and said: ‘You have both been convicted of murder. There is only one sentence I can pass on you but I shall think carefully what the minimum term will be before you are considered for parole.’

Prosecutor Caroline Carberry, KC, earlier told jurors Idan rode his electric bike towards Mr Mani and his four friends at the St George’s Shopping Centre on 9 August.

A tussle broke out and the bike was taken by one of the group while another man showed Idan a lock knife during the face-off.

Ms Carberry said: ‘Although Mr Idan was alone at that stage he was not deterred from following the group of five as they ran away from him.

‘But Mr Idan did not call the police to ask for help in recovering his bike or report that he had been shown a knife by a member of that group.

‘What he did instead was to call reinforcements in the shape of his friend Mr Jean-Pierre.

‘Mr Jean-Pierre was nearby. He had easy access to knives and Mr Idan knew he would come armed. And directed by Mr Idan, Mr Jean-Pierre made his way to meet the group.

‘It is not in dispute that Mr Jean-Pierre had with him two lethal weapons – a machete, slung around his body in a sheath, and a Rambo knife.

‘One knife for him. And one knife for his friend Mr Idan.

‘Unbeknown to the deceased and his friends, Shakur Idan was chasing them into Mr Jean-Pierre’s path.

‘As Mr Jean-Pierre made his way to them, also riding an electric bicycle, Mr Idan was updating him by mobile phone as to the group’s location.’

Ring doorbell devices caught Idan shouting ‘wet him up, wet him up’ as the group approached him, the court heard.

‘And that is exactly what Mr Jean-Pierre did.

‘Like Mr Idan, Mr Jean-Pierre, was also undeterred that he was outnumbered. He quickly dismounted his bike to carry out a deadly planned attack.

‘His attention was on Hamid Mani. That must have been obvious to one of Hamid Mani’s friends. For as Jean-Pierre approached them, Hamid Mani was handed the lock knife.’

The rest of the group ran away with one riding away on the electric bike, jurors heard.

Ms Carberry said: ‘Hamid tried to run away but, in that moment, he made a choice which placed him at the mercy of these two defendants.

‘He ran into a small open garage from which there was no easy escape route. He was cornered.

‘Jean-Pierre withdrew one of his weapons, the long machete, from its sheath and began an attack which moved from the garage into Wellesley Road, and which would leave both Mr Jean-Pierre and Mr Idan requiring medical treatment, and Hamid Mani dead in a street.

‘Hamid Mani did not stand a chance against these two defendants and their large knives.

‘He was outnumbered. He was out armed. He tried to defend himself by using the knife he had been handed, but he was overpowered.

‘As Hamid tried to escape down the road, backing away for these two defendants they both followed him. Mr Jean-Pierre brandishing the machete, appears to hand something, the prosecution suggest the second knife, to Mr Idan.

‘Hamid Mani, backing away posing no threat at all as he retreated. He tried to escape by running around a parked car.

‘But, in the end, he could offer no resistance. He ended up on the pavement and there, while he while was on the ground, completely vulnerable, he was stabbed multiple times by Mr Jean-Pierre, assisted by Mr Idan.’

Residents saw Mr Mani being held down by Idan while Jean-Pierre stabbed him as he shouted for help, the court heard.

Ms Carberry said: ‘What you will hear and see will demonstrate that Hamid Mani was murdered in cold blood by two young men who had no qualms in using deadly weapons, in broad daylight, on a residential street.

‘Two young men who have no qualms about settling a score with the lethal blade of a knife.’

Jean-Pierre was left bleeding heavily himself after the attack but Idan took his bike and cycled away.

And off-duty police officer gave first aid to Jean-Pierre and Mr Mani.

Idan went to a nearby shop when he was also seen to be bleeding and the shopkeeper called an ambulance.

Jean-Pierre, of Northolt, and Idan, of Harrow, both denied but were convicted of murder.
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