Daniel Manuel was murdered by a man who “thought he was his friend”
A man has been sentenced to life for the murder of a man who considered him to be his friend after an argument over a debt that he owed.
Fawaz Abdulkareem, 36, fatally stabbed Daniel Manuel, 32, at his flat on Bondway in Vauxhall, following an argument over a debt he owed on July 5. Abdulkareem had claimed he had attacked Manuel in self-defence but police identified him as the murderer who had tried to dispose of the murder weapon.
Abdulkareem, 36, of Bondway, Southwark, was unanimously convicted of murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday, May 21. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 17 years to serve, on Friday, June 5.
Detective Inspector Luke Hampton, who led the Met investigation, said: “Daniel was murdered in a moment of extreme violence by a man he thought was his friend.
“Abdulkareem tried to deceive police, recklessly throwing the murder weapon from the window of the 14th floor of a tower block and cruelly claiming it was Daniel who had attacked him.”
They both had returned to Abdulkareem’s home from a nightclub on July 5. Following an argument about money, it was then that he stabbed Daniel three times with a kitchen knife. Following the attack, Abdulkareem left the flat with the knife still in the waistband of his trousers, taking his t-shirt off and using it to disguise the weapon when he reported Daniel’s injuries to staff in the communal lobby. He then tried to throw the knife from the 14th floor.
The responding officers then said that they noticed Daniel’s blood on Abdulkareem’s clothing and arrested him at the scene. Abdulkareem alleged that he had acted in self-defence. Evidence found that the nature of Daniel’s injuries suggested he had most likely been stabbed while his back was turned – disproving his claims.
Zulal, Daniel’s wife, said: “Daniel was not just my husband, he was my partner, my home, my emotional safety and the person I built my entire life around. Losing him in such a violent and sudden way has completely shattered my world. This loss has affected every part of my life, emotionally, physically, financially and I am still trying to survive the aftermath of it.”
Detective Inspector Luke Hampton continued: “Met detectives saw through his lies and worked hard to secure a conviction. Abdulkareem’s claims of self-defence were dismissed by the jury.
“Our thoughts remain with Daniel’s family and hope this sentence gives them a degree of peace.”
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