Teenagers who ‘fist-bumped’ after stabbing man to death convicted
'This was a savage and callous attack,' officer says
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Two teenagers who fist-bumped each other after stabbing a man to death in west London have been convicted.
William Haines, 18, and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, attacked Yusuf Mohamed outside a food shop in Shepherd’s Bush on 26 June last year.
Mr Haines was found guilty of murder and having a blade, while his unnamed co-accused was cleared of murder but confessed to manslaughter.
Detective chief inspector Rob Pack, who led the investigation, said: “This was a savage and callous attack where a young man was set upon in the street and lost his life in a matter of seconds.
“To this day, the motive for the killing is unclear. Both defendants clearly felt they could carry and use knives with impunity.
“That they congratulated themselves with a fist bump and smiles having so brutally taken a life is beyond comprehension. Today’s conviction brings justice for Yusuf and his family.”
The defendants were remanded into custody after a trial at the Old Bailey and will be sentenced on 24 February.
The court heard Mohamed, an 18-year-old from the Hammersmith area, had been walking with friends along Uxbridge Road when the defendants targeted him “for no apparent reason”.
The Met Police added: “As they reached the pavement, Haines took out a large knife. Seeing the imminent attack, his friends ran off but Yusuf did not appear to be aware of what was happening until it was too late.
“Haines was the first to reach Yusuf; he had removed a knife from his waistband and he used it to stab Mr Yusuf in the chest, with the knife entering his heart.”
Police said while Haines was attacking Mohamed, the 17-year-old advanced on him with a knife despite the fact Mohamed was severely hurt and had fallen on the floor into a shop’s doorway.
The Met said: “Both the attackers ran away, tucking their knives back out of sight, and as they did so, CCTV recorded them on Willow Vale giving each other a congratulatory ‘fist bump’ to celebrate achieving what they had set out to do.”
Police and an ambulance came to the scene but Mohamed died there in spite of attempts to save him.
Haines, of Acton in west London, admitted stabbing Mohamed but said he “could not remember it” due to having “had a drink”.