Teenager killed in ‘screwface’ row

A business studies student was stabbed to death outside his university halls of residence after a trivial row over the pulling of a ‘screwface’, a court heard.

Djodjo Nsaka, 19, was knifed in the chest when he and his friends were confronted by three young men armed with knives near Wembley Stadium in northwest London.

The dispute had started two days earlier when Djodjo’s group noticed Mukeh Kawah, 21, glaring at them angrily in the Unite Halls building.

Prosecutor William Boyce QC told the Old Bailey: ‘It is a case that is not only a tragedy but it is borne out of double stupidity, firstly making something out of nothing and secondly carrying knives.

‘Within the space of a day they had gone from pulling a face to “I am going to kill you”, and within a second day they had done just that.’

Djodjo’s friend Daniel Tamfuri tried to defuse the situation by asking Kawa’s girlfriend why he had given them a ‘screwface’ and asking him to ‘be humble’, meaning chill out and forget about it.

The next day Kawa and his friends Donald Davis, 21, and Ali Tas, 20, approached Mr Tamfuri’s girlfriend and said: ‘Bring your boyfriend, I’m going to kill him.’

Mr Nsaka, Mr Tamfuri and their friend Chris Bonda were confronted by the three killers when they returned to the halls in Rutherford Way hours later at 1am on 20 January 2017, the court heard.

They allegedly shouted ‘Wagwan fam?’ and ‘Humble who?’ before getting out of Tas’ green Jaguar car.

Tas then punched Mr Bonda in the face before Kawa pulled a hunting knife from his waistband and tried to stab him, jurors heard.

Djodjo shouted ‘Allow it’, meaning stop, before throwing a traffic cone at the attackers as he turned to run away, the court heard.

Both Mr Bonda and Mr Tamfuri managed to escape back to the halls of residence but Djodjo was stabbed in the chest and bled to death at the scene at 1.54am.

All three attackers fled in Tas’ car and tried to change their appearance before their arrest, it is claimed.

Tas shaved off his beard while Davis and Kawa cut their hair, jurors heard.

Kawah, of Lancaster Close, Colindale, Tas, of Eagle Drive, Colindale, Davis, of Martlesham Walk, Colindale, all deny murder.

The trial continues.

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