A father out celebrating his daughter's birthday was brutally knifed to death in front of his horrified family just because he asked if a crying child was alright, a court was told yesterday.
Alan Smith, 63, was repeatedly stabbed at least five times as he sat with his partner, daughter and son-in-law in a cafe in east London.
His alleged killer,
Matthew Quesada, became enraged when Mr Smith approached him in the BB Cafe to ask if his young daughter, who was crying, was okay, the jury heard.
Quesada responded
'What's it to you? What's it got to f****** do with you?' before storming out of the cafe.
'Humiliated and angered' by what happened and 'bent on exacting revenge' Quesada, then aged 25, ran to his girlfriend's home to drop off the girl and grab a weapon.
He then raced after the family as they entered a second diner - the Roma cafe - where they had gone to eat to avoid any further trouble.
With a knife concealed up his sleeve, Quesada then allegedly launched a 'frenzied and wordless' attack, stabbing Mr Smith in the head and body.
[...]
Quesada, now 26, denies murdering Mr Smith on March 26 last year.
Roger Smart, prosecuting, told the Old Bailey jury
Quesada accepts he stabbed Mr Smith and the issue will be his state of mind at the time.
The court heard in the lead up to the alleged murder, Mr Smith was waiting for his family to arrive at the BB Cafe in London's Leyton when Quesada entered with his crying daughter.
After a few minutes when the crying did not subside and while Quesada washed his daughter's hands in the sink, Mr Smith approached to ask if everything was alright with the little girl, it was claimed.
However, the dad of two reacted angrily and tried to push past a waiter to get into the kitchen but was blocked and he stormed off with his daughter after being refused to use the cafe's phone.
The Old Bailey heard as Quesada went next door to borrow a phone Mr Smith's family arrived.
As Mr Smith told them they would eat elsewhere,
Quesada was overheard saying 'I need the piece' over the phone as he stood glaring as Mr Smith and his family left the cafe.
As they walked off Quesada shouted out 'You see. You? I'll see you.'
Mr Smart said: 'A warning. A man in an aggressive state. A man humiliated, angered by what had happened inside the BB Cafe, bent on exacting revenge.'
The time between the call and the murder was just four minutes, it was said.
[...]
'As he got to their table, the defendant leaned across and without uttering a word, lunged at Mr Smith.
[...]
Warded off by Mr Jenkins, Quesada was spotted jumping over the back gardens from his girlfriend's flat before getting into a waiting car and speeding off.
A day later Quesada who had shaven off his distinct Afro style hair and changed his clothes was arrested along with his mother
Victoria Passley-Quesada inside her car in south London.
He had on him his British passport, flight details for that day's flights to Sao Paulo in Brazil, along with a holdall.
His mother Passley-Quesada, 54, of Purley, Surrey, is accused of hiding him from the police, looking up flights, and helping him in his bid to escape.
His girlfriend
Maria Brigette, 26, of Hibbard Road, Leyton, east London, is accused of updating him on the police investigation. Both deny assisting an offender.
The trial, expected to last three weeks, continues.
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