Young Man, 21, Subjected to Horrific Stabbing, Piercing His Heart at Halloween Nightclub Event
A man met his demise after sustaining a fatal stab wound to the heart during a chaotic assault at a Halloween nightclub gathering, as stated in court.
Givani Espuet, a 21-year-old, met a tragic end outside Aura Lounge nightclub in Wembley on October 20 last year.
He sustained ten stab wounds, one of which pierced through his heart. The jurors were informed that the wounds were inflicted by two different knives.
Charged with his murder are Kadeem Hibbert, 29 (with no fixed address), Theo Simon, 33 (from Wood Green), Bruce Hutchinson, 29 (with no fixed address), Courtney Forrester, 25 (from Luton), Sahid Kpaka, 27 (from Wood Green), and Andre Brown-Watson, 36 (from Haringey).
Additionally, they face charges of violent disorder, to which Forrester and Kpaka have already pleaded guilty.
Prosecutor Tony Badenoch KC, in his opening statement at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, described a “furious row” that erupted within the club and spilled out onto the street.
Hibbert, who was celebrating his birthday with friends at the venue, had reserved a table. It is alleged that he got into an argument with Mr. Espuet and his group at approximately 2 am.
As both groups moved outside, “physical violence erupted… punches were thrown and scuffles broke out,” stated Mr. Badenoch.
Jurors were presented with CCTV footage depicting the men brawling and shouting in the street outside the club.
Hibbert allegedly struck Mr. Espuet before thrusting a knife towards his chest, the court heard.
Brown-Watson was positioned next to Hibbert at the time and is believed by prosecutors to have witnessed the presence of the knife.
Simon was captured on CCTV retrieving a knife from the waistband of his trousers, subsequently unfolding the blade and lunging towards Mr. Espuet, appearing to stab at him, as jurors were informed.
The group pursued Mr. Espuet along the road outside the venue, assaulting him in full view of waiting traffic and an ambulance, before ‘isolating’ him between two parked cars, the court was informed.
Mr. Espuet fell to the ground while the group allegedly ‘kicked, punched and stabbed him’ repeatedly.
‘These defendants allegedly stabbed an unarmed man’ before making their escape from the scene by both car and on foot, according to Mr. Badenoch.
‘They acted in concert with one singular purpose.’
By chance, a crew from an ambulance in the vicinity immediately commenced efforts to aid Mr. Espuet, but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene due to blood loss.
Four other men facing charges in connection with the incident will be tried at a later date.
The trial is ongoing.
