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Architect 'murdered by serial robber'
Wednesday, 5th October 2005, 12:47
Category: Crime and Punishment
LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - A promising young architect was stabbed to death on his lunch break by a serial robber targeting his wallet and mobile phone, a court heard today.
"Popular and conscientious" Bernard Hegarty, 29, was knifed through the heart by 31-year old Christopher Olokun in a bungled mugging, the Old Bailey was told.
Mr Hegarty had left his office during his lunch hour to look for a new carpet - but as he headed back Olokun targetted him, hoping to steal his money and mobile, it was alleged.
A struggle broke out and Mr Hega
rty was stabbed through the heart, the court heard, telling passsers by who rushed to the s
cene "I've been mugged". He died from his injuries five days later.
The attack on August 11 last year was the latest in a string of robberies with two carried out only days before Mr Hegarty's murder, the jury heard.
John McGuinness QC, prosecuting, told how Spurs fan Mr Hegarty had graduated and qualified as an architect in 2003, working for SDPS architects in Bethnal Green at the time of his death.
"He was popular with his colleagues and conscientious in his work, typically being the first to arrive at the office in the morning. He was tall at six foot one, of medium to heavy build and he was physically fit."
The court heard that during his lunch hour on August 11 Mr Hegarty had logged on to football websites but left the office at 1.26pm, heading out to look for a new carpet.
As he walked back along Mansford Street he was attacked, the jury was told.<
br><
br>Mr McGuninness said that Karen McKenna had been visiting her mother in the area and was the only witness to the actual attack.
"She noticed two men struggling near some bins on the rear corner of Bradley House, a condemned block of flats which backed on to Mansford Street. One was Mr Hegarty, the other appeared to be dark skinned.
"From what she could see the dark skinned man was pulling Mr Hegarty who was trying to push him away."
Mrs McKenna didn't see a weapon and believed that the two men knew each other and didn't raise the alarm. But shortly after witnesses Graham Smith and Steven Reader saw Mr Hegarty staggering in the road and covered in blood, the jury heard.
"They went up to him and asked him what had happened and he replied 'I've been stabbed'", said Mr McGuinness. "He was badly injured. He had an obvious stab wound to his chest."
He told another pedestrian "I've been mugged&q
uot; and
the emergency services were called.
Passers by rushed to help Mr Hegarty and began applying first aid, including postman Lukman Abdul who spoke to Mr Hegarty.
"He was able to tell him he had b
een stabbed with a knife and that the person who had done it was black rather than white", said the prosecutor. "Mr Abdul asked whether anything had been taken from him and he said something that sounded like 'money' but was not very clear.
"Graham Smith remembers Mr Hegarty saying a number of words, some of which were incoherent, but he could make out the words 'stab' and 'mobile'."
One of Mr Hegarty's colleagues was passing the scene and rushed to help, alerting the architecture firm to what had happened. Both partners in SDPS and other staff ran to where Mr Hegarty lay with first aid materials, and it was noted that his wallet was sticking out of his pocket, the jury heard.
Paramedics arrived, said Mr McGuinness, telli
ng the jury:
"It was obvious he had a stab wound to the left side of his chest, he was very white, his eyes were totally fixed and he was making no respiratory effort."
Open heart surgery carried out at the scene managed to re-start his pulse and he was rushed to ho
spital but died from his wounds five days later.
Mr McGuinness told the jury: "We say that the motive for the attack was robbery. This is supported by what he himself said at the scene before he lost consciousness and by the odd position of his wallet in his trouser pocket.
"The robber appears to have been after money and his mobile. Although neither was taken the Crown is not able to say whether or not the robber might have got away with some cash. Any other motive for the attack is improbable."
The court heard how close to the scene was a homemade sheath for a knife, although the weapon itself was not recovered. The sheath had Okolun's DNA on it.
"A homemade sheath is an unu
sual item. By de
finition somebody must have gone to the trouble of making it and must have done so for the purpose of keeping a knife in it.
"The Crown say it is no coincidence that the sheath was found where it was with its knife missing only yards away from where Mr Hegarty had fallen and so close to his blood o
n the corner of Mansford Street.
"The prosecution say it was the defendant's sheath and - as will become apparent later - he has a propensity to carry knives and this is not the only home made knife sheath which can be linked to him."
Okolun denies murder, attempted robbery, and seven further counts of robbery.
The case continues
UK News
UK News | Showbiz News
Architect 'murdered by serial robber'
Wednesday, 5th October 2005, 12:47
Category: Crime and Punishment
LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - A promising young architect was stabbed to death on his lunch break by a serial robber targeting his wallet and mobile phone, a court heard today.
"Popular and conscientious" Bernard Hegarty, 29, was knifed through the heart by 31-year old Christopher Olokun in a bungled mugging, the Old Bailey was told.
Mr Hegarty had left his office during his lunch hour to look for a new carpet - but as he headed back Olokun targetted him, hoping to steal his money and mobile, it was alleged.
A struggle broke out and Mr Hega
rty was stabbed through the heart, the court heard, telling passsers by who rushed to the s
cene "I've been mugged". He died from his injuries five days later.
The attack on August 11 last year was the latest in a string of robberies with two carried out only days before Mr Hegarty's murder, the jury heard.
John McGuinness QC, prosecuting, told how Spurs fan Mr Hegarty had graduated and qualified as an architect in 2003, working for SDPS architects in Bethnal Green at the time of his death.
"He was popular with his colleagues and conscientious in his work, typically being the first to arrive at the office in the morning. He was tall at six foot one, of medium to heavy build and he was physically fit."
The court heard that during his lunch hour on August 11 Mr Hegarty had logged on to football websites but left the office at 1.26pm, heading out to look for a new carpet.
As he walked back along Mansford Street he was attacked, the jury was told.<
br><
br>Mr McGuninness said that Karen McKenna had been visiting her mother in the area and was the only witness to the actual attack.
"She noticed two men struggling near some bins on the rear corner of Bradley House, a condemned block of flats which backed on to Mansford Street. One was Mr Hegarty, the other appeared to be dark skinned.
"From what she could see the dark skinned man was pulling Mr Hegarty who was trying to push him away."
Mrs McKenna didn't see a weapon and believed that the two men knew each other and didn't raise the alarm. But shortly after witnesses Graham Smith and Steven Reader saw Mr Hegarty staggering in the road and covered in blood, the jury heard.
"They went up to him and asked him what had happened and he replied 'I've been stabbed'", said Mr McGuinness. "He was badly injured. He had an obvious stab wound to his chest."
He told another pedestrian "I've been mugged&q
uot; and
the emergency services were called.
Passers by rushed to help Mr Hegarty and began applying first aid, including postman Lukman Abdul who spoke to Mr Hegarty.
"He was able to tell him he had b
een stabbed with a knife and that the person who had done it was black rather than white", said the prosecutor. "Mr Abdul asked whether anything had been taken from him and he said something that sounded like 'money' but was not very clear.
"Graham Smith remembers Mr Hegarty saying a number of words, some of which were incoherent, but he could make out the words 'stab' and 'mobile'."
One of Mr Hegarty's colleagues was passing the scene and rushed to help, alerting the architecture firm to what had happened. Both partners in SDPS and other staff ran to where Mr Hegarty lay with first aid materials, and it was noted that his wallet was sticking out of his pocket, the jury heard.
Paramedics arrived, said Mr McGuinness, telli
ng the jury:
"It was obvious he had a stab wound to the left side of his chest, he was very white, his eyes were totally fixed and he was making no respiratory effort."
Open heart surgery carried out at the scene managed to re-start his pulse and he was rushed to ho
spital but died from his wounds five days later.
Mr McGuinness told the jury: "We say that the motive for the attack was robbery. This is supported by what he himself said at the scene before he lost consciousness and by the odd position of his wallet in his trouser pocket.
"The robber appears to have been after money and his mobile. Although neither was taken the Crown is not able to say whether or not the robber might have got away with some cash. Any other motive for the attack is improbable."
The court heard how close to the scene was a homemade sheath for a knife, although the weapon itself was not recovered. The sheath had Okolun's DNA on it.
"A homemade sheath is an unu
sual item. By de
finition somebody must have gone to the trouble of making it and must have done so for the purpose of keeping a knife in it.
"The Crown say it is no coincidence that the sheath was found where it was with its knife missing only yards away from where Mr Hegarty had fallen and so close to his blood o
n the corner of Mansford Street.
"The prosecution say it was the defendant's sheath and - as will become apparent later - he has a propensity to carry knives and this is not the only home made knife sheath which can be linked to him."
Okolun denies murder, attempted robbery, and seven further counts of robbery.
The case continues
