Exclusive:Attempted murder trial begins six months after man stabbed in Cosham street

Two men who pinned down and stabbed another man in “broad daylight” in Cosham intented to take his life, a solicitor has argued.

Abdul and Attiquallah Shinwari are on trial at Portsmouth Crown Court, accused of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm after a stabbing in Hawthorn Crescent on March 12 this year. The former is also charged with possession of a bladed article in a public place. They both deny all charges.

Abdul, 20 from Alma Road, Southampton, was a student at the Highbury campus of the City of Portsmouth College at the time. Attiquallah, 23 from St Helen’s Parade, Southsea, had previously studied there. The two are not related, but appeared in the dock together.

Opening the prosecution’s case, Russel Pyne said that there had previously been a reported dispute between Afghani students at the college, who were part of Highbury’s resolve course - a full-time English programme.

On March 12, a group attacked Sefatullah Ibrahimkhel and a friend. Mr Ibrahimkhel suffered a stab wound to his groin, severing an artery and leaving him fighting for his life at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

Mr Pyne said: “This case is aboute a young man being assaulted in broad daylight, on a busy road in Cosham. He was stabbed in the groin with a knife - the wound bled a lot and left him in a life-threatening condition. He required immediate and significant surgery to save his life.

“We say that Abdul Shinwari stabbed him. He wielded the knife as it entered the victim’s body. As he was doing that, Attiquallah Shinwari was holding Mr Ibrahimkhel in place.

“The assault did not come out of the blue. An incident was reported to Highbury College a couple of days before March 12, by another of the resolve students. Exactly what happened is not known with certainty; what we say is relevant is that there was hostility between the students.”

Abdul Shinwari was arrested shortly after midnight on March 13. Attiquallah Shinwari was arrested on March 20 after being picked up by a “sharp-eyed” police officer in Bournemouth, having fled Portsmouth entirely, Mr Pyne said.

Abdul did not answer any questions from police, while Attiquallah provided a short statement denying his involvement, before answering “virtually none” of the questions put to him by officers.

Mr Ibrahimkhel gave a recorded video interview to police the following month, the prosecutor added, where he “said that he remembered some of the circumstances of being stabbed”. He recalled being held down by Attiquallah Shinwari, and positively identified both defendants as being involved.

Two other men, Arif Ahmadzai and Abdullah Mirzad, were also initially charged with attempted murder. They were found not guilty after the prosecution offered no evidence, and they have since been discharged from the courts.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.

(Proceeding)