A HAMPSHIRE teenager was stabbed to death by a love rival, a court heard.

A 21-year-old man attacked Leon Nkomo, of Briarswood Rise, Dibden Purlieu, before turning to his girlfriend with a laugh and saying "now you can bury him'', the Old Bailey was told.

The trial of Leon Scott, of Ilford, Essex, opened yesterday.

He denies murdering 19-year-old Mr Nkomo in an East London street on November 22 last year. He is also accused of stabbing Andrew Daly, 19, of Basingstoke, prior to the alleged murder, a charge he also denies.

Prosecutor Sir Allan Green, QC, said the defendant had resented the fact that Mr Nkomo and Andrew Daly had been socialising with his former girlfriend Shola Joseph, the mother of his six-month-old son, who was living apart from him in Manor Park.

The jury was told she, the child, Mr Nkomo and Mr Daly had spent the day with her mother in Ilford, before catching a train back to Manor Park.

Scott had spent the day looking for his girlfriend, before finally catching up with her at Manor Park, Sir Allan said.

He had accompanied her, Mr Nkomo and Mr Daly as they walked to Waterloo Station, walking ahead of the party.

But Sir Allan said Scott suddenly turned around, ran towards them and stabbed Mr Daly once in the back.

As the injured man ran to an off licence to get help, Mr Nkomo was stabbed a total of eight times, the court heard.

He died at Whipps Cross Hospital later that night. Shola Joseph told the court how she saw Scott stab Mr Daly once in the back and then launch the lethal attack on Mr Nkomo.

She said she had been terrified for her own safety and that of her young child, but denied having a sexual relationship with Mr Nkomo. "I liked him and that is all," she said.

She told the court that she ran to a nearby telephone box to dial 999 and two ambulances and a police car were on the scene in minutes.

The jury heard that she had not accompanied Mr Nkomo to hospital, but was taken to the police station to make a statement.

Scott claims that he acted in self-defence. Proceeding.

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