Deaf Woman Fatally Attacked by 'Nasty' Ravers After Night Out in London
A profoundly deaf woman was brutally beaten and left to die in the street after being thrown from a car by a raver nicknamed 'Nasty' during a night out in London, the Old Bailey was told in a harrowing court case. Duane Owusu, 36, allegedly attacked Zahwa Mukhtar, 27, following a rave, ejecting her from a crowded Mercedes and punching her so hard she suffered fatal injuries.
The Fatal Night Out
On August 16 last year, Owusu had been at a rave and was traveling with friends from Dagenham when they invited stranger Zahwa Mukhtar into their car 'by chance' outside a pub in Stoke Newington, north London. Prosecutor Henrietta Paget KC described the incident as the 'senseless killing of a vulnerable young woman', noting that occupants of the vehicle had been drinking and taking drugs, including Ms. Mukhtar.
Jurors heard that Ms. Mukhtar, who was out by herself, began behaving erratically in the car, flirting with the boys and picking fights with the girls, causing increasing annoyance. When she started recording a video on her phone, Owusu ordered the driver to stop the car. 'Opening the rear door, he threw out Ms. Mukhtar's phone and then ejected her bodily from the car, so that she landed on her backside on the pavement', Ms. Paget said.
The Brutal Attack
Getting out after her, Owusu aimed two kicks at her face as she sat on the ground. One of the female members of the group tried to stop the attack but was swung aside. Ms. Mukhtar managed to get to her feet and pleaded with Owusu to stop, but he punched her hard to the neck, knocking her to the ground where she lay motionless. She fell so hard that she suffered a fractured skull and fatal brain injury.
Rather than helping her, the defendant allegedly shouted at the others to get back in the car, which was then driven away. 'And so it was that Ms. Mukhtar was left to die', Ms. Paget told the jury. CCTV footage shown in court captured the attack outside a care home in Chadwell Heath, east London, showing Ms. Mukhtar, wearing a long white dress, being attacked before falling to the floor and lying motionless on the driveway.
Aftermath and Voices on CCTV
After the fatal attack, a voice can be heard on the footage shouting: 'Get in the car now.' A male voice was allegedly heard to say: 'Leave her bro. I don't even care about her, let's just go.' A female voice is then allegedly heard shouting: 'Someone help her. We can't leave her like that.'
Victim's Life and Background
Ms. Mukhtar was described as a 'bright, bubbly, enthusiastic' woman who aspired to become an accountant and worked as a finance assistant at the Young Vic Theatre in Waterloo. She was profoundly deaf, having lost her hearing after contracting meningitis at the age of three, but coped well and was adept at lip-reading and used British sign language. Coming from a traditional family background, she wanted to live like any other young person in their 20s and enjoyed socialising, food, and travel.
Trial Details
Owusu, of Dagenham, denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter. The trial continues, with the case highlighting issues of violence against vulnerable individuals in London. This tragic incident underscores the need for greater awareness and protection for deaf and disabled communities in urban settings.
