A MAN fatally stabbed a “peacemaker” who had attempted to break up an altercation over an electric scooter, a court has heard.

Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai is on trial at Salisbury Crown Court, charged with the murder of 21-year-old Tom Roberts outside a Subway sandwich shop in Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth in the early hours of March 12 last year.

Nic Lobbenberg KC, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Roberts had been enjoying a “very chilled” night out with his friend, James Medway.

He said Abdulrahimzai and Mr Medway were involved in an argument over a hired Beryl e-scooter in Old Christchurch Road when Mr Roberts stepped in.

Mr Lobbenberg KC said: “There was an altercation with this defendant. Thomas Roberts was a peacemaker, he came between the two men. For his trouble, he received two stab wounds.”

He said the first stab wound penetrated Mr Roberts's heart and the second went into his abdomen.

Bournemouth Echo:

Mr Lobbenberg KC added: “Following the stabbing, Mr Abdulrahimzai fled. James chased him but lost him in some nearby woodland.”

The prosecutor said the defendant had dropped his mobile phone and was traced to his home address by police who recovered it.

Mr Lobbenberg KC told the jury that Abdulrahimzai did not deny carrying out the stabbing using a knife he had taken with him from home, and has previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

He said the defendant is likely to claim he had not intended to kill Mr Roberts and his actions were a result of a “loss of control”.

The jury was shown CCTV footage of the fatal incident which Mr Lobbenberg KC said “was all about a scooter, that cost this boy his life”.

He said Abdulrahimzai, who had been seen wearing an Afghan flag around his shoulders earlier in the evening, had previously used the hired e-scooter before Mr Roberts and Mr Medway came across it outside the Subway shop.

Bournemouth Echo:

The prosecutor said: “James Medway says to Tom ‘We do not need to get a taxi home, we can scoot – it’s not being used, we can take it’, and gets on it.

“He is immediately confronted by the defendant. Tom comes between them and the defendant gets in Tom’s face and is very aggressive.

“The defendant is getting in Tom’s face, he (Tom) slaps the defendant in the face with an open palm.

“At that, the defendant draws a knife and stabs him twice.”

Mr Lobbenberg KC continued: “The defendant runs away, James gives immediate chase. Very shortly after that Tom collapses, people come and administer first aid and call for an ambulance.

“He is bleeding profusely on the ground and they are doing the very best to staunch the wounds before the police and ambulance service arrive. They then commence CPR and Tom is taken to hospital.

“He requires emergency surgery and dies in the operating theatre of his wounds.”

The defendant, who is from Afghanistan and was of Hill Street, Poole, at the time of the incident, denies murder. The trial continues.

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