Leicester Crown Court heard today (August 10) that Harper Dennis, 18, stabbed Khaleed Oladipo, 20, five times in the chest after a dispute over money and a fake Rolex. Mr Oladipo died from a 13cm-deep stab wound to the heart.
Prosecution opens case
Prosecutor Jane Osborne KC told the jury that on February 3, a wet evening in Leicester, Mr Oladipo, a student at De Montfort University, was stabbed near the university campus. She said: "He was stabbed not once, but a number of times. Only one of those stab wounds was fatal and unfortunately penetrated his heart." Mr Oladipo collapsed in the street and never regained consciousness.
Ms Osborne said: "Khaleed Oladipo was killed not by a stranger, but by somebody who knew him." The pair knew each other from online gaming. Mr Oladipo was a third-year student at De Montfort University, while Dennis was a first-year student at the University of Leicester.
Dispute over debt
The court heard they had previously been friends and were part of a Snapchat group, but had fallen out over money that Dennis perceived was owed to him. Ms Osborne said: "It would seem the perceived debt was the reason that Dennis attacked Oladipo in the street."
The stabbing occurred in Oxford Street, close to De Montfort University's Innovation Centre, and was captured on dashcam footage. The prosecutor said the two men engaged in a "short struggle" before both went to the floor. The footage shows Dennis's arm in a "backwards and forwards" motion, "consistent with the stab wounds inflicted to the left hand side of Khaleed's chest".
Aftermath and evidence
Ms Osborne added: "Having been stabbed, Khaleed rises to his knees and the defendant runs off. He isn't pursued. It's clear Khaleed is not capable of pursuing Dennis. It was an incident that lasted, in reality, seconds." Mr Oladipo was on the phone with his girlfriend, who heard him say "Why did you come up to me and stab me?".
A witness driving in traffic saw a "snowstorm of feathers from one of their coats" during the altercation. She got out to help Mr Oladipo and saw a knife "parallel" to where he lay.
The cause of death was a 13cm-deep stab wound to the left side of the chest that went into the heart. There were four other stab wounds to the chest that did not contribute to death, and a defensive wound on his hand.
Previous messages
The court heard Dennis made two calls to Mr Oladipo's girlfriend, Shekeizah Fowler-Palmer, on Christmas Day last year, saying Mr Oladipo was a "bad guy" and owed him £3,000, and that if he did not pay, the caller would come to her.
On another occasion, Mr Oladipo gave Dennis a watch to sell, advising him not to go to certain jewellers because it was a fake Rolex. When Dennis tried to sell it, he was "laughed at" and was "embarrassed and angry".
Messages between the two suggested a falling out, including one from Dennis saying he "won't ever forget" what Mr Oladipo did. In a Snapchat message on Boxing Day, Dennis said he would "dedicate his life to making sure you suffer for what you did".
Dennis, of North Road in West Drayton, London, denies the charges. The trial is expected to last three weeks and continues.
