LONDON Irishman Luke Fitzpatrick was stabbed to death by a masked mob called to arms after their ringleader ‘lost face’ in a street fight, a court heard this week.
More than 15 youths were summoned to exact revenge when Christopher Walters was ‘humiliated’ in a brawl which spilled into a Dollis Hill newsagents little over an hour before the 25-year-old roofer was killed.
As the murder trial opened at the Old Bailey, Brian Altman QC, prosecuting, outlined events which led to the ‘mindless’ attack on tragic Luke and his Dublin-born father Bernard outside the Ox and Gate Pub in North London on May 19, 2012.
Luke was stabbed to death and his father left seriously injured following the attack, which happened at 11.30pm just a short distance from the young victim’s Dollis Hill home.
“The death of Luke Fitzpatrick and the stabbing of his father began with an incident earlier that evening,” Mr Altman said. “It began at the corner shop opposite the pub, which neither Luke, nor his father or any of their friends had any involvement whatsoever.”
Following that fight, which happened at 10.20pm at the nearby Minimart, it is alleged that Walters summoned at least 15 youths through phone calls and Blackberry messenger messages to ‘exact revenge’ for his loss of face, the court heard.
Walters then led the storming of the Ox and Gate pub - issuing threats and brandishing a knife - where Luke and his father had been watched the Champions League match between Chelsea and Bayern Munich that evening.
“Walters set about exacting revenge, calling to arms friends and associates, and within an hour a group of 15 or more masked and hooded youths arrived at the Ox and Gate pub,” Mr Altman said.
“Armed with a variety of weapons, including sticks, poles, even a crutch and knives they attempted to storm the pub. These were acts of cowards, mob-handed and tooled with a variety of weapons which they brought to the scene to avenge Walters’ loss of face earlier and retaliate.”
He added: “Mindless violence led to this tragic outcome – an innocent young man losing his life and his father injured while attempting to save him.”
Mr Altman told the court that pub patrons attempted to repel the baying mob on the night, with some throwing pub furniture and others giving chase to the group.
“Luke Fitzpatrick was one of the chasing group – a decision which cost him his life,” he said. “He was at the head of the group but when he turned a corner the youths turned and confronted him. He was stabbed, a fateful wound to the chest. His father Bernard, who was the closest behind him, was stabbed several times to his abdomen and legs as he attempted to shield Luke.”
Walters, 23, of Lovett Way, in Neasden, and two 17-year-old youths, who cannot be named for legal reasons, deny murder and the attempted murder of Bernard Fitzpatrick.
Four other men deny violent disorder related to the storming of the pub.
The trial continues.
