Man guilty after randomly killing woman and slashing three other strangers

A man faces life in prison for a series of slasher attacks on strangers which culminated in the random killing of a woman in south London. Mohamed Nur, 34, was armed with a makeshift blade when he slashed Johanita Kossiwa Dogbey’s throat in broad daylight last May 1.

Ms Dogbey, 31, had been walking alone on Stockwell Park Walk in Brixton after going into central London to do some shopping. She was attacked from behind by a man wearing dark clothes and died on the spot.

A post-mortem examination identified the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the neck. Nur admitted to killing her and had a blade made from scissors that day, as well as another weapon made from broken glass the day after he was arrested.

He denied three other assaults two days before Ms Dogbey’s death in similar circumstances. Nur’s trial at the Old Bailey focused on the three attacks which took place 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 gash. The second victim, Tomasz Kmiecik, suffered a 15cm facial cut and the third victim, Katie Matthews, suffered a 6cm gash on her face.

Prosecutor Julian Evans KC told jurors: “In each case the victim did nothing to confront or challenge 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 the three victims.”

The attacker was wearing a distinctive jacket and a black hooded top pulled over the face. Nur, of 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 gun, which caused her injury.”

Nur was arrested last May 2 after being stopped by police in Brixton High Street in possession of a weapon fashioned from a piece of broken mirror. Mr Evans said: “As far as his case is concerned, it is understood to come down to one simple point: identification.

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

Nur, who refused to attend his trial at the Old Bailey, was found guilty of three counts of unlawful wounding on Monday after the jury deliberated for an hour and 47 minutes. Following the verdicts, two jurors were said to be “shocked” and “saddened” 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 jury for 10 years in light of the revelation. The court was told Nur had previous convictions for drug possession, impaired driving and possession of sharp instruments.

Nur, who is in custody, will be sentenced on May 23 and Judge Rafferty said she was likely to sentence him anyway if he did not attend. She said several letters had been sent to him and added: “He has committed a number of contempt of court offenses which will also have to be dealt with on the day.”