Male model was killed by obsessed rival in fight over catwalk lover, court told
Jury hears that sex claim led to showdown in which alleged victim was stabbed in the heart
A MALE model was murdered by a jealous rival in a row over a female catwalk star, a court heard. Harry Uzoka, 25, died on the pavement outside his home in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, after he was stabbed in the heart.
The Old Bailey was told that he called George Koh, 24, “a fake” on Instagram and arranged a fight after finding out Mr Koh claimed to have had sex with Ruby Campbell, Mr Uzoka’s model girlfriend.
The alleged victim, who was known as “H”, arrived for the confrontation on Jan 11 after recruiting his flatmate, Adrian Harper. The jury heard that both men were armed with dumbbell bars.
Richard Horwell QC, prosecuting, said Mr Koh, along with Merse Dikanda and Jonathan Okigbo, both 24, took at least three knives, including a machete.
“It is the Crown’s case that Koh stabbed Uzoka and that Okigbo and Dikanda went with Koh to support and assist him in the intentional infliction of serious harm.”
Mr Koh and Mr Okigbo, who are both from Camden, north London, deny murder. Mr Dikanda, of no fixed address, denies murder, possessing a machete on Jan 11 and a knife on Jan 25.
Mr Horwell told jurors that Mr Uzoka was “a well-known and successful model with a very bright future”. He said his celebrity status was “relevant because it is that very part of his life that brought him into contact with the first defendant, George Koh”.
He added: “Koh was also a model but not as successful as Uzoka.” The court heard that Mr Uzoka was annoyed by the less successful Mr Koh, because he tried to copy him and make contact with his friends. However the relationship deteriorated further after Annecetta Lafon, a Paris-based model who had previously been in contact with both men on Instagram, arrived in London in December last year, the jury was told.
The prosecutor said she was surprised to find that Mr Koh “had something of an obsession” with Mr Uzoka.
He added: “Koh claimed that he knew Uzoka well and then said that he had had sex with Uzoka’s girlfriend and that was the reason why they no longer talked.”
The defendants allegedly took an Addison Lee taxi, booked in Mr Koh’s name, to and from the scene. Jurors were told Mr Koh tried to delete his account and asked his mobile phone company to change his number. He handed himself in to police three days after the stabbing, giving a prepared statement which read: “He had a metal pole in his hand and went to strike me. I acted in self-defence because I feared that he would kill me or cause me serious injury.
But the prosecutor told jurors: “We suggest that prepared statement was a lie in an attempt to support a fabricated defence.” The trial continues.