Chiswick Trio Deny Helping Knightbridge Murderer to Flee
Old Bailey hears more details of killing of Blue Stevens
Blue Stevens with his son. Picture: Facebook
Three men from Chiswick are among six defendants who have appeared at the Old Bailey accused of helping an alleged killer escape the country after the fatal stabbing of young father Blue Stevens outside a luxury Knightsbridge hotel.
Mr Stevens, 24, was attacked on 9 July last year outside the Park Tower Hotel and Casino, near Harvey Nichols. He died at the scene despite efforts by emergency services. The alleged attacker, 25-year-old Yousef Razak, fled the UK shortly afterwards and remains wanted on an international warrant.
On Friday, six men appeared in court charged with perverting the course of justice in connection with Razak’s disappearance. They are Nicholas McCoy, 22, of Chiswick, Jayden Clement-Bryan, 24, of Feltham, Mozahedul Alam, 26, of Chiswick, Shafwan Meah, 20, of Chiswick, Adan Hindawi, 25, of Kensington and Ali Hindawi, 24, of Southall
McCoy, Clement-Bryan, Alam, Meah and Adan Hindawi all pleaded not guilty to committing acts with intent to pervert the course of justice. Ali Hindawi did not enter a plea at the hearing on Friday 17 April.
The three Chiswick men are accused of playing central roles in Razak’s flight from the UK. McCoy, Clement-Bryan, Alam and Adan Hindawi are charged with assisting in the burning of a vehicle allegedly used in the murder. Alam, alongside Meah, is accused of arranging a ferry booking to help Razak leave the country and Meah is further accused of helping coordinate Razak’s movements in the hours after the killing.
Prosecutor Davi Burns told the court the men “assisted Mr Razak to flee the country and generally escape the course of justice”.
The court also heard that Adan Hindawi is accused of providing Razak with a vehicle to facilitate his escape and Ali Hindawi is accused of handing over his own passport to Razak.
The defendants were granted conditional bail. They must reside at their home addresses, sleep there every night, avoid applying for travel documents, not attempt to leave the UK, and avoid contact with co-defendants unless they are siblings. Two pairs of brothers are among the accused: Ali and Adan Hindawi, and Meah and Alam.
A trial has been scheduled for 9 November at the Old Bailey.
The charges follow a series of police raids in Chiswick last July, when detectives investigating the murder searched two properties in the area. Officers said at the time that they had recovered “significant evidence”, prompting the arrest of three men in their twenties. One was detained on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, another was bailed, and a third was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah, who leads policing in Central West London, described those arrests as “a significant milestone in this complex and unfolding murder investigation”, adding that one line of inquiry was that the attack may have been targeted.
Mr Stevens’ family have continued to urge anyone with information to come forward, saying, “Any information, no matter how small, could help our children to know their father’s life mattered.”
Police are still appealing for witnesses or anyone with knowledge of Razak’s whereabouts.
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