Haunting images of dancing sisters on night they died shown in court

Haunting images of two sisters smiling and dancing on the night they were to be savagely stabbed to death in a park have been shown in court.

Danyal Hussein, 19, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of repeatedly stabbing Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, after allegedly seeking to make a blood pact with a demon to kill women in exchange for winning the lottery.

On Thursday, the sisters’ mother, Mina Smallman, looked away as some of the last images of her daughters were viewed by jurors.

Ms Smallman danced a jig and chatted to a cashier at a Co-op in Kingbury as they bought picnic provision before driving to the park in Ms Henry’s purple Audi.

Ms Henry was shown carrying a bulging blue bag as they walked into the park before other guests arrived.

After their guests had left, the women stayed on and took three more selfie photographs early on June 6.

But in the final image shortly after 1am, the sisters appeared distracted by something on the left, out of shot.

Soon after, it is alleged that Hussein launched a ferocious attack, stabbing Ms Henry eight times and Ms Smallman 28 times before dragging them into a hedgerow.

The defendant had allegedly been caught on CCTV walking into the park earlier then returning to his father’s house after 4am without his trousers on.

The sisters’ bodies were discovered by concerned friends on June 7 last year, along with a bloody knife.

A bottle of tonic water, bought by the sisters at the Co-op, was found dumped in a bush nearby, jurors have heard.

The bottle had blood on it which allegedly matched Hussein’s DNA.

It is claimed that a blood-stained knife found at the scene is identical to one of the set and also that it had DNA matching the defendant and Ms Smallman on it.

Hussein used his passport as proof of age and had to take off his face mask at the cash desk to buy the Taylor’s Eye Witness block of five knives, jurors heard.

He spent £32.29 on the purchases, which also included chewing gum, pre-mix drinks cans, lemons and two candles, the court heard.

The knife block appeared too large to fit into a blue Nike rucksack so Hussein put it in an Asda Bag for Life, the court heard.

When he was taken into custody at Wandsworth Police Station on July 1 last year, an officer asked how he became injured and Hussein replied that he was “robbed”, the jury heard.

Presenting the CCTV evidence at the Old Bailey, Detective Constable Jo Hinchliffe said he had trawled through 450 hours of footage.

Prosecutor Oliver Glasgow QC said: “Mr Hussein does not accept he appears in the majority or all of the footage. This is of course a matter that is in dispute.”

Hussein, of Guy Barnett Grove, Blackheath, south-east London, has denied double murder and possessing a knife.