Drill rapper's manager Bright Akinleye killed after 'war of words' Published duration 28 January Related Topics London violence

image copyright Met Police image caption Bright Akinleye collapsed after he walked into the Wesley Hotel in Euston

An online "war of words" led to a young man being stabbed to death on a promotional drill music video shoot, a court has heard.

Bright Akinleye, 22, was attacked by a group of men and stabbed with a large hunting knife at a flat in Euston, central London, in February last year.

The Old Bailey heard he left a trail of blood as he ran 150 yards to a hotel foyer where he collapsed and died from a leg wound.

Four men deny his murder.

Tashawn Brewster, 31, from Kennington; Abdoulie Ceesay, 28, Silas Loko, 27, both from Southwark, south London; and Oliver Petts, 30, from Lewisham, are all on trial for Mr Akinleye's murder.

'Taunts'

Jurors were told the victim managed a rapper from a Birmingham group of drill artists, called 23 Drillaz.

Prosecutor Simon Denison QC said alleged knifeman Mr Brewster had been recruited to help "punish" Mr Akinleye over a long-running dispute with twin brothers Jospin and Elvis Mayamba from the Aylesbury estate in Southwark.

"At the end of 2018 Bright had posted online a video that showed Jospin Mayamba being manhandled and disrespected by a group of people and it appears that there was a war of words between them that continued in the early part of 2019," he said.

A few days before his death, Mr Akinleye went on Instagram to contact the twins' older brother Chris Mayamba, who was in jail in Nottingham, the court heard.

Mr Denison told the court: "Instead of resolving anything they taunted each other and it ended with a threat from Chris Mayamba to Bright."

'Punish'

On the evening of 18 February last year, Mr Akinleye was part of a video shoot which started in Deptford, south London, and then moved on to the flat in Euston.

Mr Ceesay and Mr Petts were said to have been at a studio in Deptford where Mr Ceesay allegedly called Mr Loko.

"The prosecution case is that in the course of that call they agreed that they would take this opportunity to punish Bright Akinleye and they recruited someone to do it," Mr Denison said.

Jurors heard Mr Brewster travelled to Euston from his home in Kennington, south London.

His DNA was later found on the handle of the knife and more DNA evidence linked him to a pair of trainers stained with Mr Akinleye's blood, the court heard.