A young, aspiring lawyer was attacked on his way home from a store by two drug dealers, and they were found guilty of murder.
On the afternoon of February 6, 2021, Sven Badzak, 22, and a companion, 16, were attacked by a group of six men as they were returning from a Waitrose in Kilburn, northwest London.
Sven was repeatedly stabbed as he slumped to the ground, but his friend was able to flee to a neighbouring Tesco to call for assistance before he passed out from back wounds.
Now, Rashid Gedel, 22, from Ilford, and Shiroh Ambersley, 22, from Wembley, have been found guilty of Sven’s murder.
The Old Bailey also convicted them for wounding with intent but acquitted the pair of attempted murder.
Prosecutor Anthony Orchard KC told the court he believes the young men were ‘the unfortunate victims of mistaken identity’.
He said they were targeted in a ‘gang-style attack’ over what the killers regarded as their drugs territory, despite ‘neither victim being a gang member or associate’.
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Eight minutes before the murder, Gedel and Ambersley had gone to a bakery looking for other young people to attack, Mr Orchard told the court.
Gedel was caught on CCTV ‘inspecting’ two hooded youths at the counter before walking out of the shop.
During this time, Sven and his mate had been to the Waitrose on Finchley Road, about half a mile away.
As they walked back, the 16-year-old was watching a Liverpool football game on his phone.
Mr Orchard said: ‘As the two friends walked west on Willesden Lane, Gedel drew closer to them. Sven Badzak and his friend were wholly unaware of what was about to happen.’
Jurors were shown CCTV footage of the pair walking together when their paths crossed with the killers, with one of the attackers asking: ‘What are you on?’
Sven was stabbed in the chest and dropped his Waitrose shopping bag as he fled and collapsed outside a burger restaurant.
Mr Orchard said: ‘His attackers catch up with him on the ground. It appears he was kicked and punched.
‘During the totality of the attack, he was stabbed four times. His phone fell to the ground. No attacker attempted to retrieve it. At least one of those attacking him shouted out.
‘The attack on Sven Badzak lasts no more than 20 seconds.’
Part of the group of attackers had tried to follow the 16-year-old when he ran to a Tesco supermarket but they eventually gave up their chase and ran away.
Both defendants, who were identified on CCTV, admitted being at the scene but denied they were carrying knives that day and claimed they were only there to sell drugs.
Gedel claimed he did not even know Sven had been stabbed.
He said: ‘I was a bit shocked someone died. I assumed it was only a punch. People were texting me. I went on Google to see what it was about.’
He also added that he was sent a video on Snapchat of Mr Badzak laying on the floor and bleeding but did not know why people thought he would be interested.
The court was told Gedel had four previous convictions for carrying blades dating back to 2014 and on his arrest in March 2021, a hunting knife was seized from his bedroom wardrobe.
Ambersley also had a conviction for possession of a blade, two offences of threatening with an offensive weapon in a public place and affray, and possession of drugs.
Mr Orchard said two other alleged members of the group were not in the dock.
Harvey Canavan, 19, from Maida Vale, previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter and unlawful wounding and Lior Agbayan, 20, had fled to the Ivory Coast and has not returned, jurors were told.
The remaining two suspects have not been identified, the court heard.
Gedel and Ambersley, whose trial was initially delayed because of industrial action last summer, will be sentenced at a later date.