A clubber who stabbed to death a young father outside upmarket City restaurant Caravaggio because of a row over cloakroom queue-jumping is starting a life sentence today.
Junior Afolayan, 24, knifed Kabba Kamara in the abdomen after a bout of “pushing and shoving” on the red carpet laid outside the Italian eatery.
Violence had erupted when clubbers went to leave the £20-a-head Red Carpet @ Caravaggio R&B night and descended en masse on the cloakroom.
When the brawl spilled outside, Afolayan is seen running at Mr Kamara, 23, before driving a knife into his stomach, causing him to fall back against a street sign.
The Old Bailey heard Mr Kamara, who was born in Sierra Leone, did not know his attacker and fell victim to a random attack, on December 6 last year.
Afolayan was today found guilty of murder at the end of a three week trial. He slumped back in the dock as the verdict was delivered and now faces life in prison when he is sentenced.
Two brothers, Ayodeji and Olatunde Odunyemi, were both acquitted of murder, having been accused of egging on the fatal knife attack.
Prosecutor Alan Kent QC said Mr Kamara, a talented footballer, had been attending a birthday gathering at the Leadenhall Street restaurant which had passed off without trouble until 3am.
"It was December and a lot of people all at the same time went to get their coats”, he said.
"There was no form of orderly queue around that cloakroom area, and there began to be a little bit of pushing and shoving.
"It's not entirely clear who started it or why it started."
On mobile phone footage, a shout of "let's go outside" can be heard before Afolayan called out "let's go and get the ting".
On the red carpet outside, a glass Mr Kamara was holding “goes flying” during the escalating brawl, before Afolayan ran at Mr Kamara, stabbing him once in the abdomen.
He was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries just over 24 hours later.
“Many witnesses didn't see a stabbing, they saw what they described to police as a punch”, said Mr Kent.
“The two groups didn't know each other, it's not as if there was any history between the defendant and Mr Kamara and any of his friends.
“They just happened to be at the same event that particular night.”
Judge Stephen Kramer adjourned sentencing until 10am tomorrow morning, but warned he will be considering a 25 year minimum term of a life sentence.
Afolayan, of Wandsworth Road, Clapham, and the Olatunde brothers, both of Loughborough Street, Lambeth, all denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.
Afolayan was found guilty of murder unanimously, while the brothers were both acquitted of both charges.
