Portsmouth man convicted of manslaughter after killing 18-year-old Aimen Ahmed in Guildhall Square with zombie style knife

Donnell Charles, 23, formerly of St Peters Grove in Southsea, was convicted of manslaughter by diminished responsibility and actual bodily harm following a trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Aimen Ahmed, 18, from Horndean, was killed on Saturday, July 29, 2023 after being stabbed by Charles in the abdomen with police hoping that today’s result “brings closure” to the family.

The incident occurred in Guildhall Square at around 11pm when police were called to the Guildhall steps. Paramedics ,and other emergency service representatives, tried to provide life-saving support to Aimen but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Charles was initially charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm, Possession of a Bladed Article and failing to disclose a pin code to a phone. He pled guilty to possessing a bladed article and failing to provide personal date but denied the rest, leading to a 13-day trial which started on Monday, October 28.

A jury heard how Aimen was sitting with friends on the Guildhall steps when Charles initially spoke to them before shortly moving on. Around 10 minutes later, Charles returned and hit a member of the group with the hilt of a zombie style knife, and attacked the neck of another who suffered minor injuries.

Charles then turned to Aimen and stabbed him in the abdomen before fleeing on an e-scooter. The following day officers guarding the scene were made aware that someone matching the description of the attacker kept returning to the scene. Officers went to question him but he fled. Footage from body worn cameras enabled them to identify Charles who was arrested on Monday, July 31, 2023.

The court heard from psychiatric experts that Charles had started displaying symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia when he was 18, which he received treatment for.

A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said: “The defence presented evidence that Charles meets the international diagnostic criteria for paranoid schizophrenia, and this diagnosis was reviewed and clinically confirmed by the consultant psychiatrist at Broadmoor Hospital, on the basis of the medical notes available to him and by seeing him in person.

“The same doctor gave the opinion that Charles was suffering from an abnormality of mental functioning arising from schizophrenia at the time of the incident and that his illness was likely to have substantially impaired his ability to form a rational judgement or exercise self-control. 

“The Crown Prosecution Service took these factors into consideration to decide whether he had the defence of diminished responsibility open to him and on Thursday 14 November, Charles entered a plea to manslaughter by diminished responsibility and pleaded guilty to two counts of actual bodily harm, these admissions were accepted by the court.”

Detective inspector Elizabeth Brunt, senior investigating officer for the case, said: “We hope that today’s result brings closure, but also some level of comfort to Aimen’s foster family, as they now know that the person responsible for his death has admitted his guilt and been brought to justice.

“My team and I have worked tirelessly for over a year to hold responsible the person who brought about Aimen’s death and we believe the verdict today reflects this.

“I would like to further extend my sincere condolences to Aimen’s family and foster family, who have expressed their clear love and support of Aimen consistently throughout this investigation and trial, and to all those who knew him, for their loss.”

A vigil was held for Aimen in Guildhall Square on August 4, 2023. The video of which can be found embedded in this article.

Charles has been remanded into custody to appear at Portsmouth Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, December 17.