A teenager who prowled the streets of Hackney in a car before catching and stabbing a young man to death was found guilty of murder on Friday, 19 October.
Jonathan Abora
Jonathan Abora, 18, was found guilty of the murder of Israel Ogunsola, aged 18, of Hackney following a three-week trial at the Old Bailey in London.
The court heard how shortly before 20:00hrs on Wednesday, 4 April, officers on patrol in Morning Lane, E9 were alerted to a serious incident close by.
Officers arrived in Link Street, junction with Morning Lane, and found Israel suffering stab wounds. They assisted an off-duty paramedic in providing emergency first aid until the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended.
Israel was pronounced dead at the scene at 20:24hrs. His next of kin were informed.
A post-mortem examination took place on the afternoon of Thursday, 5 April at Poplar mortuary and gave the cause of death as multiple stab wounds.
An incident room opened under the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command and a 17-year-old male was arrested late on Wednesday, 4 April on suspicion of murder.
The first of those arrested was Abora who was 17 when he carried out the fatal attack. He admitted being at the scene and driving the car involved. He claimed to be acting in self-defence of a friend he refused to name. CCTV footage and forensic evidence confirmed his involvement in the fatal attack. Israel was riding his pedal bike when Abora and a second male located him. They immediately alighted their car and begun to attack Israel with large knives that they were carrying. The victim suffered six separate stab wounds in a sustained attack.
Israel Ogunsola
Police believe Israel knew Abora and his associate and were and embroiled in a dispute.
When interviewed, Abora refused to answer any of the questions put to him by detectives but admitted to being at the scene and carrying a large knife for self-protection. A member of the public who witnessed the attack told investigators how the attack against Israel was relentless with the clear “intent to kill.”
He will be sentenced on Monday, 5 November at the Old Bailey.