Student Fatally Stabbed on Primrose Hill Was Surrounded and Kicked, Court Hears
A film student who was stabbed to death on Primrose Hill was surrounded by a group and kicked while on the ground before he died, a court has been told. Finbar Sullivan, 21, a student at the London Screen Academy, died after an alleged attack at the north London viewpoint on April 7.
Details of the Alleged Attack
Prosecutor Zara Brawley told the Old Bailey on Wednesday that Mr Sullivan entered the park with a friend before he was surrounded by a group of suspects. He was punched and pushed to the ground just after 6.30pm. Oliuwadamilola Ogunyankinnu, 27, of Southbury Road, Enfield, is accused of punching Mr Sullivan and then kicking or stamping towards his head while he was on the ground.
The court heard that Mr Sullivan was then stabbed by another male at least twice, including a fatal injury to his thigh. Ogunyankinnu has been charged with murder and is yet to enter pleas, with a provisional trial date set for April next year. In a previous hearing at Stratford Magistrates' Court, he stated, "I didn't kill anybody, I didn't stab anybody, they've got the wrong person."
Additional Arrests and Charges
Alexis Bidace, 25, of Fore Street, Enfield, and Ernest Boateng, 25, of Keswick Drive, Enfield, were arrested on Monday and have also been charged with murder. They appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning and did not enter formal pleas. Their defence lawyer, Anna Wright, said they both deny participation in the alleged murder.
During a six-minute hearing, the men spoke only to confirm their names, addresses, and ages. District Judge Daniel Benjamin remanded them in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday. Bidace wore a black jacket and grey tracksuit bottoms, while Boateng wore a grey jumper and grey tracksuit bottoms. A woman was seen mouthing "I love you" to Bidace from the public gallery as he was taken out of court.
Related Violence and Injuries
Khalid Abdulqadir, 18, of Fellows Road, Camden, has been charged with grievous bodily harm, violent disorder, and possession of a knife following the incident. He is accused of stabbing a rival during a clash, with the alleged victim requiring spleen removal and suffering a badly broken hand. Abdulqadir appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody, with a plea hearing scheduled for May 12 at Inner London Crown Court.
Family's Heartbreak and Tributes
Mr Sullivan, known as Fin by his friends, was described by his father Christopher Sullivan, 65, as a "really lovely person." In an emotional statement to the Daily Mail, he said, "I can't believe it. He was the most beautiful, lovely, outgoing, loving boy. Why he was targeted, we have no idea." He added that the family is "so broken-hearted" and called it the worst tragedy he could imagine.
Christopher Sullivan revealed that Finbar had gone to Primrose Hill to use a new camera he received for his birthday, a gift the family had chipped in for. He noted his son's ambitions to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, cameraman Michael Seresin, who worked on films like Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban and Rambo III.
Police are continuing their investigation and urge anyone with information to contact them, quoting reference 6448/07Apr.
