The murder (2)

Some of the crowd then converged on nearby St Luke's estate. Louis Colley, meanwhile, had gone to an aunt's house in nearby City Road. At around 8.30 pm, while returning home, he encountered a group of friends outside a Somerfield supermarket on Old Street near to St Luke's estate. Among them was Colley's friend, Essayas Kassahun, a 21 year old trainee chef who had fled to the UK from his native Ethiopia when he was a child.

Also in the group of friends was BK a 20 year old man who later gave evidence at Sam Hallam's trial.  It is relevant to the case that racial tension is less pervasive in this area of London than in many other parts of Britain. There was no racial factor in the dispute which led to Essayas Kassahun's murder. The group of friends talking outside the supermarket included young people from North African, Caribbean, white British and Irish backgrounds. Likewise, the crowd looking for Louis Colley (who is black and of Caribbean origin) comprised black, and white youths. While Colley was chatting to his friends, he received a mobile phone call warning him that youths were on the estate, just around the corner from the supermarket and looking for him. He looked down Bath Street at the corner of the Old Street supermarket and saw a group of young people standing in the street.

 Louis Colley continued talking to his friends but then exchanged words with one of the crowd of youths. Colley recognised him as Hoxton resident Bullabeck Ringbiong who was a former schoolmate. Ringbiong challenged him about the incident on the previous Friday. Another youth swung a punch at Colley. Both men fell to the ground and Colley was set upon by several of the crowd. Some were wielding baseball bats. Colley's friend Essayas Kassahun went to his assistance. In the ensuing melee, Colley managed to escape from the group and went into the Somerfield supermarket to take shelter

His friend Essayas was much less fortunate. Witnesses saw him being kicked and falling to the ground surrounded by assailants. Essayas sustained a serious wound to the left side of his head. Eventually, he was helped to his feet by one of his friends and they crossed over Old Street into a Shell petrol station to get help. Essayas went into a toilet inside the station shop. As his friend later related, blood was flowing from Essayas' head and he 'blanked out'. He was joined by several friends including Louis Colley who had left the Somerfield supermarket. An ambulance was called. By the time it arrived, Essayas was unconscious.  He was taken to the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel. He never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead on Wednesday 13th October 2004. /next