The “devil is in the detail” in the case against a teenager who made a "diabolical" deal with a demon before allegedly stabbing two sisters in Kingsbury, a court has heard
Danyal Hussein is accused of launching a “terrifying” attack on Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, in Fryent Country Park in the early hours of June 6 last year.
The sisters, who had been celebrating Ms Henry’s birthday with friends, were found the following day by Ms Smallman’s boyfriend.
Nineteen-year-old Hussein allegedly used his own blood to sign an agreement with demon Lucifuge Rofocale promising to “sacrifice” women in exchange for winning the lottery – and get away with it, the Old Bailey heard.
In another note, he offered blood for “sexual potency” and to make a girl at his school fall in love with him, jurors were told.
Armed with a knife bought in Asda, he allegedly stabbed the sisters multiple times, sustaining a cut on his hand in the process, prosecutor Oliver Glasgow QC said on Thursday (July 1).
Hussein, who declined to give evidence, has disputed DNA found at the scene or that he was caught on any CCTV, including footage of a person returning to his home after the killings.
In his closing speech, Mr Glasgow QC told jurors: “Given the weight of the evidence against him, only someone who actually believes that an agreement with a demon will work could refuse to accept any aspect of the case against him.
“Perhaps he still believes that Lucifuge Rofocale will come to his aid, but unfortunately for the defendant, there are no deals to be had in these courts and the devil (if he is anywhere) is in the detail.”
Outlining the tragic circumstances, he said: “For Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, Friday, June 5 was supposed to be a celebration of life; a birthday party, a night where you reflect on the year you have had and look forward to the year that will be.
“It was supposed to be an evening of friendship and love; a chance to spend time with those closest to you.
“And it was supposed to end with both sisters returning home to their loved ones with smiles on their faces and fond memories to look back on.
“For this defendant, however, the celebration he had planned was quite different.
“It was a celebration of death, not of life; it was a night of sacrifice and violence, not of shared emotions; and it was the start of his planned campaign of vengeance that would see part of his twisted bargain fulfilled and leave him looking forward to the riches he believed would soon come his way.
“It is hard to imagine that anyone could do to another human being what this defendant did to Bibaa and Nicole; but to have planned it, to have prepared it and to have performed it with such ruthless selfishness it truly terrifying.
“He did not care what he had to do to get what he wanted, and these two women were nothing more than a means to a very disturbing end.
“Indeed, the last few minutes of Bibaa and Nicole’s lives must have been truly terrifying.”
The defendant’s claim that someone else wrote the agreement to sacrifice women for a lottery win was almost as ridiculous as the document itself, the lawyer asserted.
“The person responsible for this perverse document and the person responsible for the brutal slaying of two women are one and the same individual: this defendant,” Mr Glasgow said.
He also dismissed the suggestion by the defence that the crime scene could have been contaminated, saying there was no evidence from Hussein to explain how his blood and DNA got there.
Earlier, trial judge Mrs Justice Whipple warned jurors not to be drawn into speculation or influenced by emotion as they assessed the evidence.
On the central issue of the case, she said the prosecution say the evidence shows the killer was Hussein while the defendant asserts that the jury “cannot be sure of that”.
Hussein, of Guy Barnett Grove, Blackheath, has denied two counts of murder and possessing a knife.
The jury is set to be discharged next week.
Additional reporting by Emily Pinnick.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here