Exclusive:'I will kill you': Friend of man stabbed in Cosham was also pursued by attacker, he told police

The friend of a man left fighting for his life after being stabbed in the street was almost punctured himself, he told police.

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.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) alleges that they were part of a group of six that attacked Sefatullah Ibrahimkhel and a friend - although they are the only two who face charges.

Mr Ibrahimkhel’s friend, Omid Mohammedi, told police that after his friend was stabbed by Abdul Shinwari, the defendant then chased him up through Cosham.

The group, including Mr Ibrahimkhel and the attackers, were almost all known to one another, with many of them being friends prior to the incident. But a falling out spilled over into brutal violence, Mr Mohammedi explained.

In an interview with police, with the support of a translator, he said: “Two of them had covered their faces, but I still recognised them. Three more were just in plain clothes. Attiquallah Shinwari grabbed Sefatullah, Abdul said ‘hold him, hold him tight,’ then stabbed him.

“I saw that Sefatullah was on the floor - Abdul still had the knife, then he started chasing me. He was shouting ‘stop, I’ll kill you’. He got fairly close to me, and scratched me with the knife, but I increased me speed and got away.

“When I came back to the scene, I saw Sefatullah was still on the ground; there were some people helping him, though. He had lost a lot of blood.”

Mr Mohammedi told officers that he ran through Cosham Park, then up past King George V Playing Fields, in a pursuit that lasted more than a minute.

The incident was sparked by a falling out between the friends, he explained, with some accusing others of talking behind each other’s backs. They were meeting in the park to try and settle the matter, but talking turned to arguing, and the dispute quickly became violent.

When asked by police if he saw Abdul Shinwari stab his friend, Mr Mohammedi said “yes.”

“I saw him stab one time,” he added. “But after that I don’t know. He told Sefatullah he would kill him.

“I’ve known Sefatullah for three years - I look at him like my older brother.”