A man accused of murdering father-of-two Blue Stevens could remain beyond the reach of British justice after leaving the country less than nine hours after the fatal stabbing, the Old Bailey has heard.
Yousef Razak, 25, allegedly stabbed Stevens, from Yateley, Hampshire, outside the Park Tower Hotel and Casino in Knightsbridge, London, on July 9 last year.
The attack happened outside the five-star hotel, where rooms reportedly cost up to £1,650 a night, opposite the Harvey Nichols department store.
Prosecutors told jurors that Razak escaped through central London on a Honda moped fitted with false number plates before boarding a P&O ferry to France in the early hours of July 10. He subsequently travelled to the Middle East.
An international arrest warrant has been issued for Razak. However, prosecutor Peter Ratliff told the court that he is unlikely ever to face justice for the killing.
Four Men Accused of Helping the Fugitive
Four men appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, accused of conspiring to prevent the course of justice by helping Razak leave Britain and destroying evidence connected to the murder.
They are Nicholas McCoy, 22, Jayden Clement-Bryan, 24, Shafwan Meah, 20, and Ali Hindawi, 24. All four deny the allegations.
The prosecution alleges that they acted alongside Meah’s brother, Mozahedul Alam, 26, and Hindawi’s brother, Adnan Hindawi, 25, who have both pleaded guilty to the same charge.
Opening the case, Ratliff said the six men had played roles in ensuring Razak escaped the country and that evidence linking him to Stevens’s death was destroyed.
Stevens’s wife, Yvonne, with whom he had two children, and other relatives attended the hearing. Some family members left the public gallery in tears when footage of the stabbing was shown.
CCTV Shows How the Fatal Stabbing Happened
Jurors were shown surveillance footage of Stevens and his partner, Taylor Laxton, arriving in a white BMW in Lowndes Square at approximately 9.20pm on July 9.
The footage showed Razak riding past the couple on his moped as they walked along nearby Seville Street.
He then slowed down, turned around and parked behind a white van before waiting for Stevens.
Prosecutors said Razak got off the moped, crossed the road and grabbed Stevens. When Stevens pushed him away, the attacker allegedly held his clothing with his left hand and stabbed him in the chest with a knife held in his right hand.
Stevens was captured running down the street with Laxton following him before he collapsed.
Members of the public and paramedics attempted to save him, but he was pronounced dead at 10.06pm, less than 45 minutes after the stabbing.
The footage also showed Razak returning to his moped and speeding away.
The prosecutor warned jurors that the recording was inherently distressing. Stevens’s father, also named Blue, left the courtroom before it was played.
Alleged Escape Plan Involved Ferry Booking and Passport
The prosecution alleges that Razak travelled to the home of brothers Alam and Meah in Chiswick shortly after the attack.
Earlier that evening, McCoy, Meah, Alam and Clement-Bryan had been playing football at Goals Gillette Corner in Osterley. McCoy, Meah and Alam reportedly left in a silver Mercedes at 9.45pm, while Clement-Bryan departed shortly afterwards in a Volkswagen Polo.
By approximately 10.30pm, the group had gathered in the same area, where prosecutors say they discussed arrangements to get Razak out of Britain. Ali Hindawi allegedly joined them later.
Just after midnight, Meah’s phone was used to search for ferry services between Dover and Calais, as well as inexpensive flights from London to Egypt.
Alam allegedly transferred £179 to his brother, who then used his Lloyds bank account and phone to make a P&O ferry booking costing £275.
The prosecution says Adnan Hindawi travelled to Razak’s address on a different moped, carrying a yellow drawstring bag, to collect belongings for the fugitive.
Razak subsequently travelled towards Dover in Adnan’s Mercedes, using a passport allegedly supplied by Ali Hindawi.
CCTV showed Razak passing through security at the Port of Dover at 3.26am on July 10. He then boarded the ferry booked by Meah and left Britain.
Murder-Linked Moped Allegedly Burned Near Pinewood Studios
After Razak’s departure, prosecutors allege that the defendants arranged to destroy the Honda moped used in the killing.
McCoy was reportedly linked to the vehicle because he had ridden it earlier on the day of the murder.
The prosecution says McCoy, Clement-Bryan, Adnan Hindawi and Alam were involved in taking the moped to an area near Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, where it was set alight.
Clement-Bryan allegedly arrived at McCoy’s home in a grey Volkswagen Polo at 2.52am. At least four men then set off in the car and on the moped, which had been fitted with another set of false number plates.
The vehicle was found burned almost completely on July 11 in Black Country Park, close to the film studios.
Investigators reportedly traced Clement-Bryan’s phone to the area where the moped was discovered. His Volkswagen Polo was also captured on CCTV leaving the location.
Phone Records and Forensic Evidence Presented to Jury
The court heard that McCoy allegedly switched off two mobile phones before the moped was destroyed. The devices did not reconnect to a mobile network until 5.32am on July 10.
However, a third phone reportedly recorded his movements to and from the area where the vehicle was burned.
Ratliff told jurors that McCoy had been careful to disable his two main phone numbers, but that another device provided evidence of his journey.
Police later visited Alam’s address on July 12. McCoy was reportedly present and jumped out of a first-floor window when officers arrived.
His mobile devices were subsequently found on a bed in the living room.
Officers also recovered the moped’s original registration plate and false plates from a carrier bag at the property. Prosecutors said DNA belonging to the defendants was found on the plates.
A lighter discovered near the burned vehicle reportedly carried DNA belonging to both McCoy and Razak.
The prosecution also alleges that Ali Hindawi supplied the passport used by Razak and later switched off his phone, while Clement-Bryan helped transport the moped to the burning site and collected the rider afterwards.
Stevens’s Family Says Their Lives Will Never Be Complete
The court heard that Stevens’s family had previously issued a statement expressing the impact of his death.
They said: “Nothing can undo what has been taken from us. Our lives will never be happy or complete without our Blue.”
The four defendants currently on trial are Clement-Bryan, of Feltham; Ali Hindawi, of Southall; Meah, of Chiswick; and McCoy, also of Chiswick.
All four deny perverting the course of justice as the trial continues at the Old Bailey.
