By SCM Staff Writer
LONDON – A BRUTAL gang thug who murdered a teenager in a ferocious 25-second street knife fight has been jailed for life.
Awad Abdel Samad, 24, was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years behind bars yesterday for stabbing 19-year-old Mohamed Abdi to death in a shocking flare-up on Edgware Road, Westminster.
The fatal attack, described by police as a “stark and brutal example of the horrors of gang violence,” was triggered after the two men, who knew each other, confronted each other in traffic.
Samad, driving a Seat Leon, was cornered when victim Abdi flashed the lights of his Porsche Cayenne behind him on the evening of June 4, 2024.
25-Second Slaughter
Both men, armed with knives, leapt out of their cars and fought furiously in the street.
The court heard that Samad quickly disarmed his younger rival.
As Abdi desperately tried to retreat back into his £70,000 sports car, Samad launched a savage attack, stabbing the teen three times.
The entire brutal incident was over in just 25 seconds.
Police raced to the scene on Bell Street at 10:40pm and found Mohamed Abdi bleeding from a knife wound. Officers desperately administered CPR before paramedics arrived, but the teenager could not be saved.
A massive manhunt was launched for Samad, who tried to evade justice by travelling to a hospital in Luton and giving a fake name to treat injuries he sustained in the fight.
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Denby, of Specialist Crime South, praised the officers who used advanced technical data analysis and crystal-clear CCTV footage to snare the killer.
DCI Denby said: “Samad tried to evade police and escape justice… Officers used advanced analysis of technical data alongside CCTV of the event to prove without doubt that Samad was the person who killed Abdi and trace them away from the scene.”
When finally arrested in October 2024, Samad was found carrying another large lock knife and received a concurrent 12-month sentence for that charge.
Getaway Driver Jailed
Samad’s pal and getaway driver, Mohamad El-Hazzaa, 27, was also locked up yesterday for helping the killer escape.
El-Hazzaa, who drove the Seat Leon but didn’t take part in the violence, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
The court heard El-Hazzaa immediately tried to flee the country, swapping his phone and booking a flight. When he returned in November, he was greeted by waiting officers at the airport.
He was jailed for three years and banned from driving for three years and six months.
DCI Denby vowed to continue the fight against knife crime, saying: “We will continue to work tirelessly and use all our resources to bring violent criminals to justice and make London a safer city.”
