Two killed and one injured in five-minute raid on music video shoot, court told

Independent

01-04-2025

Two young people were killed and one was seriously injured when masked knifemen launched a five-minute raid on a music video shoot, a court has heard.
Leonardo Reid, 15 and Klevi Shekaj, 23, were fatally stabbed and 28-year-old Abdullah Abdullahi survived, but was seriously injured, during the attack in Archway, north London, on the night of June 29 2023.
Lorik Lupqi, 21; Jason Furtado, 28; Abel Chunda, 29; Xavier Poponne, 22; and Eden Clark, 30, are on trial at the Old Bailey accused of double murder and attempted murder.
Opening the case on Tuesday, Jacob Hallam KC said all of them 'bore responsibility' for the stabbings.
That evening, a large group had gathered on the Elthorne Estate to record a music video for an artist called Tight Road Baby.
Mr Hallam told jurors: 'The atmosphere was described as being happy, although at times the volume became irritating for some of those who lived nearby and police attended at about 10.20pm.
'After a while, many of those who had been there left the area, although a number of young local people remained in the vicinity.'
Lupqi and Furtado had allegedly called on the attack and enlisted Chunda, Clark and Poponne to help.
Lupqi booked a taxi to pick up the three men from the area of Furtado's home address in Canonbury, north London, telling the firm: 'I'm in a little bit of a rush', jurors heard.
They had donned masks and were armed as they travelled to the Elthorne Estate where they met Lupqi, the court was told.
Leonardo and his brother had been watching the music video being filmed with friends, jurors heard.
The alarm was raised as a black-clad figure wearing a balaclava was spotted crouching down and moving towards them with a large knife.
The friend shouted 'Man on!' as a warning as three more males in black stood up from where they had been hiding behind cars to get close to the group, the court was told.
Leonardo's brother ran away but later looped back and saw someone lying motionless on the ground. It was only then that he realised it was his brother, the court heard.
Leonardo had been stabbed in the chest, the wound cutting through his left lung and one of the major blood vessels in his body causing fatal blood loss.
Mr Shekaj had been stabbed in the back with the wound cutting through his left lung and deep into his body.
He was driven to Whittington Hospital by members of the public but he died on arrival.
Earlier, Mr Abdullahi had walked past the scene of the recording but did not pay much attention, the court was told.
He described to police being attacked by three of four people wearing face coverings when he returned to the area.
He ran away but he slipped and fell and was set upon by three attackers who had chased him with machetes, jurors heard.
As he tried to get up, he was struck with a machete twice to the right side of his body, to the head and right knee, the court was told.
Mr Hallam said: 'He thought he was going to die. He cannot say how long the attack lasted. He then heard one of the group say, 'leave him'.'
Mr Abdullahi struggled home and collapsed outside his front door.
He had suffered two stab wounds to the right side of the abdomen, a punctured lung, two broken ribs and a fractured diaphragm as well as stab wounds to his head and knee.
After the 'murderous' attack, the taxi took Chunda, Poponne, Clark and Lupqi away from the scene to Chunda's home address, the court was told.
Jurors were told of lyrics recovered from Poppone's phones in which he allegedly 'glorified' the killings and bragged that he 'got me a trio'.
The court heard that Furtado and Lupqi were wearing electronic tags at the time of the attack.
Four of the defendants were picked up by police on dates between July 2023 and May 2024.
Lupqi, from Archway, cut off his tag and fled to Kosovo.
He extradited back to the United Kingdom last November 12 when he too was arrested, the court heard.
The defendants have denied two charges of murder and one of attempted murder.
Furtado, of Islington, Chunda, of Highgate Hill, and Clark, of no fixed address have also denied a charge of possession of an offensive weapon.
Poppone, of Islington, is also charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
The Old Bailey trial continues.