Man guilty of Brixton slash murder and three more attacks

A man is facing life in prison for a series of slasher attacks on strangers which culminated in the random murder of a woman in south London.

Mohamed Nur, 34, was armed with a makeshift blade when he cut the throat of Johanita Kossiwa Dogbey in daylight last May 1.

Ms Dogbey, 31, had been walking alone in Stockwell Park Walk in Brixton after going into central London to do some shopping.

She was attacked from behind by a man wearing all dark clothing, and died at the scene.

A post-mortem examination identified the cause of death as sharp force trauma to the neck.

He had denied three other slash attacks two days before Ms Dogbey’s death in similar circumstances.

Nur’s Old Bailey trial had centred on the three attacks which happened in quick succession in Brixton at around 11.30pm last April 29.

The first victim, Rebecca Wilkes, was approached from behind, grabbed and slashed on her right cheek, causing a 9cm cut.

The second victim, Tomasz Kmiecik, suffered a 15cm facial cut and the third victim, Katie Matthews, sustained a 6cm wound to her face.

Prosecutor Julian Evans KC told jurors: “In each case, the victim did nothing to confront or provoke the man who attacked them. Each victim was attacked without warning and for no apparent reason.

“In short, all three attacks were completely random. There is nothing to suggest that the man who carried out the attacks knew anything about any of three victims.”

The attacker was wearing a distinctive jacket and a top with a black hood pulled down over his face.

Nur, from Vauxhall, south London, was wearing the same clothes when he attacked Ms Dogbey two days later.

Mr Evans told jurors: “He approached her from behind, and without warning, attacked her from behind with a weapon, which caused her injury.”

Mr Evans said: “As far as his case is concerned, it is understood that it boils down to a simple point: identification.

“It is his case that he was not the person who carried out the attacks.”

Nur, who declined to attend his Old Bailey trial, was found guilty of three charges of unlawful wounding on Monday after the jury deliberated for one hours and 47 minutes.

Following the verdicts, two jurors were said to be “shocked” and “distressed” after being told the woman who was attacked last May 1 had died.

A reporting ban on Nur’s guilty plea to the murder charge was lifted and Judge Angela Rafferty KC excused the panel from jury service for 10 years in light of the revelation.

The court was told Nur had previous convictions for possession of drugs, driving matters and possession of sharpened implements.

Nur, who is in custody, will be sentenced on May 23 and Judge Rafferty said it is likely she will sentence him anyway if he does not attend.

She said he had been sent multiple letters and added: “He has committed a number of contempt of court offences on the face of it which will have to be dealt with on that day as well.”

“I realise nothing can alleviate the pain and suffering that Johanita’s family continue to endure, but I hope they – and the three other people Nur attacked and injured – can take some comfort from the fact he has been convicted and will spend a lengthy period of time in prison.”

DCI Webb said he believes the force stopped Nur from carrying out further attacks.

He added: “The random nature of this attack, along with the brutality displayed by Nur, was utterly deplorable and left a community understandably in fear.

“Following Johanita’s murder, and the three other attacks he carried out, extra officers were deployed to the local area to provide reassurance to the community and support our investigation.

“It was as a result of a stop and search carried out by one of these units in the early hours of 2 May in the same area of Brixton that the 29 April attacks were carried out, that Nur was arrested. He was found carrying a crude makeshift weapon, similar to the type used in the previous attacks.

“Given his previous actions, it can only be assumed he intended on carrying out further attacks but thanks to the intervention by these officers, he was stopped in his tracks.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, local policing commander for Lambeth, said: “Mohammed Nur’s heinous actions which culminated in Johanita Dogbey’s murder left the local community across Lambeth understandably shocked and in fear.

“Although Nur was arrested just hours after the fatal attack, the impact of his random violence continues to resonate to this day.”