UK-Nigerian model, Harry Uzoka’s killer (also a model) found guilty [See Video of incident inside]

A London model has been found guilty of killing his fashion rival in a row over a girlfriend.

George Koh, 24, stabbed fellow model Harry Uzoka in the heart after he went to settle the dispute, accompanied by two friends on 11 January.

George Koh

Mr Uzoka, 25, who was armed with a dumbbell bar, died in the street outside his Shepherd’s Bush home.

Koh denied murder, claiming he had two knives because he was scared Mr Uzoka and his friends would beat him up.

But an Old Bailey jury found him guilty of murder, along with his machete-wielding friend Merse Dikanda, 24.

Personal trainer Jonathan Okigbo, also 24, was convicted of manslaughter.

Mr Uzoka was signed with London’s Premier Model Management agency and counted catwalk star Jourdan Dunn among his friends.

He had recently landed a film role but became annoyed by “the less successful copycat Koh”, the court heard on Monday.

Their relationship deteriorated after Koh bragged to Paris-based model Annecetta Lafon that he had sex with Mr Uzoka’s girlfriend, fellow model Ruby Campbell.

Prosecutor Richard Horwell QC said: “Koh claimed that he knew Uzoka well and then said that he had sex with Uzoka’s girlfriend and that was the reason why they no longer talked.”

But on January 11, Mr Uzoka received a message from Koh saying: “Where you I’ll come there n we can fight bring ur friends with u.”

Mr Uzoka, replied: “Come Shepherd’s Bush.”

The defendants took a minicab and confronted Mr Uzoka and his flatmate Adrian Harper outside their address.

Mr Harper, who also had a metal pole, told jurors: “I was expecting a fist fight but I took the bell bar because I knew we were outnumbered.

“I had no idea and did not expect that knives would be used and I would not have gone out if I had thought knives would be used.”

When he saw his friend again Mr Uzoka said “I’ve been stabbed,” and collapsed in the road.

Giving evidence, Koh said: “Although Merse had a machete and I had two knives it was Harry who was the aggressor.”

Koh, of York Way, Camden, pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a knife.

Dikanda, of no fixed abode, denied possessing a machete on 11 January and possessing a knife on 25 January but was convicted of the charges.

All three men will be sentenced on 21 September.

Source: BBC