Dying teen 'screamed 'I'm going to kill you' as he swung zombie knife' (original) (raw)

Taye Faik, 16, was stabbed to death near his home in Edmonton, London, as one of two teenagers charged with murder told a court he was wielding a zombie knife in the moments after he was wounded

Taye Faik, 16, died after being stabbed in Edmonton, north London

A dying teenager screamed 'I'm going to kill you' while swinging a zombie knife after realising he'd been stabbed in the heart, jurors have been told.

Taye Faik, 16, was stabbed to death near his home in the Kendal Gardens area of Edmonton, north London on October 1 2023. The incident unfolded just moments after Josiah Semper arrived in a Toyota RAV4, along with three others, to carry out what the prosecution described as a planned attack to avenge a robbery.

Semper, 18, and Bernard Carroll, 19, are on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court accused of Taye's murder. A 16-year-old girl, who cannot be legally named due to her age, also faces the charge of assisting an offender. A fourth defendant, Mark Carroll, 22, fled the country the next day and his current whereabouts are unknown, jurors have heard.

The prosecution say Taye's death was the result of a planned attack to avenge a robbery (

Image:

Met Police)

On Monday, Semper admitted inflicting the fatal blow with an eight-inch flick knife - but told jurors it was because he feared Taye was about to stab him, reports My London. Semper told the court he ran after Taye to 'talk' about getting items back from an alleged knifepoint robbery but stabbed him in self-defence after a fight broke out with Taye, who he said was wielding a large zombie knife.

The court heard Semper was previously convicted for possessing a Rambo knife in August 2022, and then for having two knives near his home in October the same year. In relation to both convictions, he denied having the weapons on him to cause harm.

Semper told jurors he and Bernard Carroll were 'good friends' from school and that he knew Mark as Bernard's older brother. He also said he knew Taye as someone who lived in the area and went by the name 'Troopz'. Asked if there were any 'differences, arguments, or tensions' between them, Semper said 'nothing' and denied knowing where he lived.

The court heard Semper was wearing a black jacket, tracksuit bottoms, and crocs when he joined the Carroll brothers and the fourth defendant in the Toyota at around 4.20pm on the night. He told jurors he believed the stolen car was a rental and was not aware it had fake licence plates. He also told the jury he found the knife used in the stabbing in the glove compartment.

Semper said he took on the role of driver because Bernard was drunk and sleepy, and he wanted to 'impress' them. After driving the brothers around 'for some errands', he took them to Kendal Avenue to collect a bag purchased from a reseller in the late evening, he told jurors. It was at this point he stopped the car at the end of the road and picked up the knife in the glove compartment.

Asked why he took the weapon, Semper said: "Because I knew Taye had a reputation for carrying weapons." He told the court he then put the knife in his jacket pocket 'just in case', then ran after Taye 'to catch up with him'. Asked why he was running after him, Semper said: "Because he previously robbed my friend at knifepoint..." adding: "I was simply going to ask Taye for the items."

Asked by Mr Fortson what reaction he expected from Taye, Semper said: "I don't know. Not the one that I got... As I approached him I asked him simply for [the person's] belongings back and he turned around instantly and turned aggressive. He said 'What? Are you trying to G check me? It's a term that's like 'Are you trying to question me?'

"Within literally seconds of saying that he's reached for his waistband and I remember distinctively seeing an orange-red handle. He pulled out with both hands and from that point, I turned around and tried to run. He screamed for his dog Trent and I ran towards Mark on the left side of the pavement. As I ran towards Mark, [Taye] ran towards me and the dog ran towards Mark, and Taye dropped on the pavement behind me and on top of me. I was quite out of breath. I dropped to the floor. He was on top of me. I was fighting. He was trying to swing his knife but because it was so large and so close...

"It was a black Zombie-type knife with an orange-red handle [of around 18 inches]. He was trying to stab me. It was kind of face-to-face. His upper body and my upper body. We were both on the ground. I was grabbing his arm. There were no words spoken during this commotion."

"Mark eventually pulled me back from the ground. As I got up, Taye also got up with the knife and stepped towards me. At this point, I removed the folded knife from my jacket. [His knife was] held in his left hand, stepping towards me swinging it towards me and Mark. I was scared of being stabbed. I took the knife off my jacket. I pointed it down towards the ground and it clicked into place. He took a step towards me and I struck him where he was holding the knife, in the left shoulder area."

Semper then agreed the wound had in fact been to the chest, and that he accepted causing this injury. He added: "I do not really know what happened. My heart was pounding, my senses were not quite right. I just wanted him to stop swinging the knife at me. It did not seem to be effective at all. He was still screaming, telling his dog to attack. He was saying 'Trent, Trent' and the dog was jumping up at me. After he spoke more words.

"After I backed away and told him to chill. Then Mark noticed he was bleeding. [Taye] looked down at his chest and saw he was bleeding. He said 'What, you stabbed me'. After he said that he tried to run towards me again and said 'I'm going to kill you'. I said chill and tried to back off again. After that, Bernard came around the corner."

Semper told the jury Taye ran off, while he fled in the Toyota, with Bernard at the wheel, feeling 'scared and shaken up'. Asked why he was wearing his hood up with a snood covering his mouth, Mr Semper said: "It was cold." He then told jurors he parted ways with the group to 'disassociate' himself, then stayed with a friend, who he refused to name in open court.

He denied helping to bleach the Toyota car but admitted throwing his Sim card away. Semper told the court he learned of Taye's death on October 2, then flew to the Caribbean island of Antigua on October 5 using money from his savings. After his mum was told he was a murder suspect, she paid for his flight home to the UK on November 17 when he was arrested on arrival.

Semper made no comment under questioning after advice from his solicitor, the court heard. The trial continues.