The trial has commenced in London regarding the murder of 26-year-old Greek national Antonis Antoniadis. He was ambushed last July by five individuals seeking to steal a bag he was carrying while returning home from a night out.
Defendants include 20-year-old Joshua McCorquodale, 25-year-old Shian Johnson, 20-year-old Sofian Alliche, 18-year-old Alfie Hipple, and a 17-year-old minor.
The indictment states that the suspects waited in a stolen vehicle outside the nightclub where Antoniadis, who was on vacation in London, had been enjoying his time. They were looking for a target.
As presented in court, the group followed Antoniadis to his girlfriend’s home in New Cross, where they launched their attack.
Despite attempting to defend himself with a bottle against his assailants, Antoniadis sustained fatal stab wounds to his chest and thigh.
After the violent assault, he was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries two weeks later, on July 21, 2024.
Prosecutor’s Opening Statement
“Antoniadis was visiting London as a tourist, accompanied by his friends Maria and Tia. They spent the week enjoying various activities. That night, they found themselves at a nightclub in the West End, located at 32 Portland Place, near Oxford Circus. As they left central London, they had no clue they were being followed by five young men who had spent the entire evening in a stolen car looking for a victim to rob,” the prosecutor stated.
“They trailed him for over thirty minutes to Florence Terrace in New Cross. While Maria searched for the key to the door, Antoniadis was confronted by four hooded men, with the fifth staying in the vehicle to facilitate their escape. Antoniadis fought back, even managing to strike one of the attackers with a brandy bottle he had from the night out. At least two assailants were armed with machetes. One demanded, ‘ching him,’ which translates to ‘stab him.’ Ultimately, Antoniadis was downed, surrounded by four robbers who punched and kicked him before delivering the fatal stab,” the prosecutor detailed.
The Greek tourist exhibited defensive wounds on his arms; however, the most serious injuries were to his chest and right thigh, where the stab wound severed his femoral artery, causing massive bleeding.
“The four attackers fled back to their getaway car, and the driver accelerated away, leaving their victim to bleed to death. It is evident they were prepared to resort to violence for the robbery, and with at least two of them wielding large knives, they were clearly willing to employ serious violence if necessary,” the prosecutor concluded.
The trial is anticipated to last for six weeks.
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