Police body camera footage taken moments after a 17-year-old was stabbed to death by his friend in a row over a drug deal gone wrong has been released for the first time. Joshua Molnar, 17, was caught on camera lying to police about how schoolmate and friend Yousef Makki, 17, came to be stabbed through the heart.
The video has never before been released to the public, and will be shown on Channel 4 on Monday night. In it Molnar, who was cleared of murder and manslaughter, claims Yousef was stabbed by 'a group of black guys' who were out to rob them, and Molnar says he tried to save his life.
He later told a court he stabbed Yousef, saying it was self defence, reports MEN. Molnar and Yousef were friends at Manchester Grammar School. But in the video he tells police they were not together at the time of the stabbing. He is captured telling an officer: "We've come sprinting over and the guy was just coughing up blood."
Molnar later admitted the stabbing but told the jury he acted in self defence and was cleared of killing Yousef. He was jailed for possessing the knife which inflicted the fatal injury and perverting the course of justice by lying to police at the scene. Video of the incident has been released as part of a Channel 4 documentary Killed By A Rich Kid, which will be broadcast on Monday at 9pm.
The footage shows Joshua Molnar moments after he had fatally stabbed his friend through the heart. He had removed his top to stem the bleeding from Yousef's chest injury until the emergency services arrived at Gorse Bank Road in affluent Hale Barns.
As paramedics arrived to tend to Yousef a police officer is captured on his own body-cam telling sobbing Molnar: "Right, come over here. What's happened?" Molnar says: "We were walking over the motorway.... Then Yousef Makki's walked ahead. We've come round the corner and he's just fallen over. We've come round the corner. We've come sprinting over and the guy was just coughing up blood... I've taken my shirt off and I've put pressure on it.
"But he hasn't been able to say anything and he's been, like, gasping for breath." The officer asks him: "How's that happened?"
Molnar replies 'I don't know' and repeats he had been around the corner when the incident happened. He later suggests those responsible had driven off in a silver hatchback. The footage then shows another friend, Adam Chowdhary, come into view. Chowdhary is told to take a seat in a patrol car.
Joshua Molnar (Image: MEN MEDIA)
When he is asked 'who's done this?' the youth replies: "I don't know, I was walking far, look, ask him, ask how far back I was. That's why I was shocked. Because I was so far back he lifts up I see his belt. I was like, whoa, what's that? Or I see something, I see his pants or something and I'm like, whoa what's that?"
Molnar, asked 'who would have done this?', is captured telling an officer: "I don't know." When he is urged to 'just be honest mate', he answers: "A lot of people that come from different areas, from Stretford and stuff like that, to Hale to try and rob people from their stuff. That's what happens most of the time and, erm, the other week someone's tried to take my stuff."
Asked who had done this he blames 'a group of black guys'.
Yousef had spent the previous night at the Hale Barns home of Adam Chowdhary, a fellow pupil, and met up with Joshua Molnar in the afternoon before the stabbing. It was later determined that after Adam Chowdhary had arranged a small cannabis deal, the three friends went to a country lane to collect the drugs. Molnar was beaten up by two associates of the alleged dealer and had his £2,000 Starling bike thrown over a hedge.
Molnar said he blamed Chowdhary, who had cycled away from the confrontation, and later took Chowdhary's £300 jacket as 'compensation' until the bike was returned. He said that while he was annoyed with Chowdhary he had not been upset with Yousef, who had tried to find his bike, and just wanted to get home as the fight had left him 'dazed'.
Molnar said he blamed Chowdhary for the earlier incident and the jacket was 'compensation' until his bike was returned to him.
Yousef's family said he tried to act as a peacemaker in the argument. Molnar said he stabbed Yousef in self-defence, alleging Yousef pushed and punched him and called him 'p***y'.
The inquest heard the fatal stabbing occurred at about 6.36pm.
Mr Chowdhary told the documentary in a statement: "I would like... to reiterate my deepest condolences to Yousef's family. I want it to be clear to anyone else thinking of carrying a knife, the risk of something terrible happening is real. I want others to learn from my mistake.
"All the facts were addressed in detail in both the high court trial and the inquest. I voluntarily gave a full account to the police and gave evidence at the inquest. I am sorry that Yousef's family feel that they are left with questions, but I cannot add anything to what I have already said about that day."
Yousef's sister Jade Akoum said: "We are pleased that the public finally get to see the bodycam footage. We hope the public can make up their own minds as to how and why Yousef died that night."
Yousef Makki was described as a 'peacemaker' during the inquest (Image: MEN Media)
Following an inquest in November, Senior South Manchester Coroner Ms Mutch recorded a narrative conclusion, saying: "Yousef died from complications of a stab wound to chest. The precise circumstances in which he was wounded cannot, on balance of probabilities, be ascertained."
The Makki family, who had urged an unlawful killing finding, is seeking a judicial review to overturn the coroner's verdict.
