Victim: Ibrahim Bah
(Picture: British Transport Police)A man has been convicted of manslaughter after a “senseless” stabbing outside a sports bar next to Greenwich station.
David Joseph Johnson, 37, and of Haddo Street, Greenwich, was found guilty of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm with intent following a three-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
The court heard how Johnson stabbed victim Ibrahim Bah in the early hours of May 1, 2022 after an altercation between a large group outside Belushi’s bar.
CCTV footage showed Johnson pulling a knife from his waistband and began waving it around, slashing a 37-year-old man across the arm.
He then made a beeline for Bah, and quickly stabbed him once in the abdomen. Mr Bah collapsed to the pavement but could not be saved despite a crowd of people rushing to his aid. He died an hour after the attack.
Johnson was arrested the following day at an address in New Cross, south London.
Mr Bah’s family paid tribute to him as a “loving father, a great son, a wonderful brother, and beloved to all those that knew him.”
“He is greatly missed by all, and the loss of his life is tragic and unnecessary,” they said in a statement issued by police.
“His son will grow up without his father and we all wish that this abhorrent knife crime will come to an end.”
They also praised Detective Sergeant Paul Burbridge and Family Liaison Officer Jess Nye for their support following the killing.
Detective Inspector Daren Bates of the British Transport Police, who led the case, said: “Johnson’s senseless and cowardice violence that night has resulted in the needless loss of a caring father.
“My thoughts remain with Bah’s family whose lives will never be the same.
“While no verdict will ever be justice enough for them, I hope they can take some comfort in the fact that Johnson will be spending his foreseeable future incarcerated.”
Johnson had pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article at an earlier court hearing. He will be sentenced on February 13.
