A BMW driver was stabbed to death through his car window after he ran over the killer’s mountain bike and dragged it along the road, a court heard.
Ahmed Gonladieu, 25, is accused of fatally stabbing Alexandros Josephs, 29, through the window of his car on Malyons Road, in Ladywell, south-east London, on May 10, 2023.
The attack caused wounded Mr Josephs to crash at speed into a row of parked cars, jurors were told.
Gonladieu denies murder and possession of a knife.
Court Proceedings
Opening the case at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Jacob Hallam, KC, said: “At about 1:48 pm, a grey BMW driven by a man called Alexandros Josephs was caught on CCTV travelling south down a dead-end road in Ladywell.
About seven minutes later at 1:55 pm, that grey BMW was captured on camera driving north up that dead-end road at speed before it crashed into a line of parked cars on the roadside.
“Inside the car, Alexandros Josephs was dying. He had been stabbed deeply into his body. The wound cut through his liver and into his aorta.
“Mr. Josephs had been stabbed by this defendant. That is not in dispute. What is likely to be an issue is why Mr. Gonladieu stabbed Mr. Josephs to death that May afternoon.
Eyewitness Testimony
A witness had earlier seen the stabbing, Mr Hallam said.
They heard through an open window the sound of male voices chatting outside, and that caused the witness to look out and to see the BMW parked.
The driver’s window was open and the driver was speaking to someone the witness described as being a black male with black clothing on a mountain bike directly by the open car window.
After a short time, the witness heard the sound of metal scraping against the ground and they looked out and saw the BMW had now moved and was further along going northwards—and it was dragging the mountain bike along the road.
The black male was by the driver’s window and the witness saw that male take a large knife out from a sheath and saw a stabbing motion going toward the driver’s side and through the open window.
The witness then saw the male run away shouting, Mr Hallam said, adding Gonladieu took an Uber to his home at 2:00 pm.
Aftermath of the Incident
Emergency services attended, but Mr Josephs was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash caused the wheel to buckle and significant damage to the front of the vehicle, the court heard.
Forensic teams surrounded the site after the incident in Ladywell, south-east London, last May.
Mr Josephs had a front-seat passenger, but they will not give evidence in the trial, the jury was told.
Gonladieu was found in a car with others around 9:00 pm and was arrested, the court heard.
Gonladieu, of Ladywell, London, denies murder and possession of a knife.
Ongoing Trial
The trial continues as the court seeks to understand the full circumstances and motivations behind the fatal stabbing. The case has garnered significant public interest due to the violent nature of the crime and its impact on the local community.
