Killer Filmed Laughing on London Bus After Fatal Stabbing of University Student
Shocking footage has emerged showing a murderer laughing and fist-bumping on a London bus merely an hour after he fatally stabbed a 21-year-old university student. Dino Donaldson, from Ealing, was convicted yesterday of murdering accounting student Anojan Gnaneswaran at Strawberry Hill station in Twickenham, following a violent altercation that erupted from a drug deal.
Drug Deal Turns Deadly at Twickenham Station
The Old Bailey heard during a four-week trial how two groups of young men arranged to exchange £50 for 10 MDMA tablets at Strawberry Hill station on the evening of January 8, 2024. Donaldson and three others arrived just after 10pm, with Mr Gnaneswaran following around an hour later. A disagreement quickly escalated between the parties, prompting Mr Gnaneswaran to call his brother, who came to the station with two others for support.
The argument continued on the platform before Donaldson pulled a long knife from his waistband. He chased the group and caught up with Mr Gnaneswaran on the railway tracks, where he stabbed him multiple times in the chest, abdomen, and thigh. The victim's brother immediately phoned 999 and began CPR, but paramedics were unable to save the young man, who died at the scene.
Incriminating Evidence and Arrest
Just five minutes after the murder, Donaldson accidentally activated a Ring doorbell near the scene, where he was heard boasting about the killing to an associate. On the recording, he says, 'I stabbed a man in his back bro, I stabbed him through the back bruv - I stabbed him fully. I watched it and I felt it go in him. Yeah?'
British Transport Police detectives from the Major, Serious and Organised Crime team traced Donaldson's movements using CCTV as he fled from Twickenham to Kingston Upon Thames. An hour after the stabbing, an on-board camera on the N87 night bus captured Donaldson laughing, smiling, and reaching out to shake someone's hand before exchanging a fist-bump.
A search team later found the murder weapon and a black glove hidden in a tree at the scene. Forensic examination revealed DNA belonging to both Donaldson and Anojan on both items. Officers raided Donaldson's home on January 11, 2024, finding him hiding in a cupboard. A subsequent search of his bedroom uncovered 74 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin with an estimated street value of over £1,000, leading to an additional conviction for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Family Tribute and Sentencing
Mr Gnaneswaran's family paid tribute to their 'much-loved son and brother', describing him as a third-year accounting and finance student who was excited for his future. They noted, 'He excelled at all sports and had achieved first-dan black belt in karate – he competed in the World and European championships in karate, and we will all miss him so much.'
BTP Detective Chief Inspector Paul Attwell stated, 'What started as an argument over a drug deal ended in a young man's life being cut short by a remorseless thug. Donaldson showed his true colours as a coward by arming himself with a knife that night. His cowardice has continued by never accepting responsibility and admitting his crime – thankfully the jury saw through his lies.'
He added, 'He will live the rest of his life knowing he has taken someone else's, and next month he will learn that he has a long time behind bars ahead to mull over his actions. While no verdict can ever compensate for the loss of Anojan, I hope today's outcome provides his family with some sense of closure.'
Donaldson was found guilty of murder and will receive an automatic life sentence, with sentencing scheduled for June 19.
