Man cleared of killing Good Samaritan in Wembley

A vicious thug who attacked a Good Samaritan after he tried to stop a vulnerable woman from being abused in a Wembley Street has been cleared of killing him.

Osman Mahdi, 28, confronted 35 year-old Omer Jama Abdi when he stepped in to defend a female friend outside his flat in St John’s Road in February 2012.

The Old Bailey heard witnesses saw him knock Mr Abdi to the ground with a single punch before returning a few moments later to kick him as he lay defenceless.

Mr Abdi, who had a severe heart condition, died in hospital the same morning.

Prosecutor Bobbie Cheema QC said: “He punched the wrong man, a man who was vulnerable to suddenly death because of his grave heart condition.

“There was no lawful reason for the defendant to assault Mr Abdi, who had done him no wrong at all but simply intervened to try and get him to leave the woman alone.”

Mahdi was arrested a year later and claimed he punched the victim in self defence after being hit twice.

He said he kicked Mr Abdi because he believed the victim was feigning injury.

The jury cleared him of both murder and manslaughter but convicted him of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

Maldi, who lives in Kensington, will be sentenced next month.

Related link: Good Samaritan beaten to death in Wembley ‘for defending vulnerable woman’