Man committed ‘ferocious’ stab attack at Notting Hill Carnival, court told

An alleged knifeman sliced and stabbed a man in a “ferocious attack” at Notting Hill Carnival, a court has heard.

Rumarni Tuitt is accused of using a 12-inch Zombie knife against Kamani Spooner, then aged 18, on August 26 last year in Canal Way, west London, just before 8pm when carnival goers were still out “enjoying themselves”.

Mr Spooner, who is now 19, survived and the Old Bailey heard on Tuesday that he and the 20-year-old defendant, of Walthamstow, east London, do not know each other.

Prosecutor Mark Paltenghi told jurors: “The trial you are about to try arises out of events at the Notting Hill Carnival on the evening of Monday August 26 of last year in which it is alleged the defendant sliced open Mr Spooner’s stomach with a 12-inch Zombie knife.

“He also stabbed Mr Spooner four more times to the side and the back and in addition caused a laceration to Mr Spooner’s right forearm.”

Tuitt will claim he was acting in self defence, the prosecutor said, adding there is “no evidence that Mr Spooner was himself armed with any kind of weapon at the time”.

Mr Paltenghi continued: “Mr Tuitt the defendant is likely to accept that he caused those various wounds I have just described but will maintain he was acting in self defence and I will tell you right away that Mr Tuitt for his part – the defendant – was uninjured.

“Mr Spooner will tell you he does not know Mr Tuitt and was not engaged in any conversation with him prior to this, in my words, ferocious attack.

“On the face of it therefore there is no evidence that the defendant is harbouring any particular grievance against Mr Spooner.

“You may think however that the ferocity of My Tuitt’s attack… suggests that his intentions (were) undoubtedly to inflict extreme violence with a large knife.”

The jury will have to decide whether Tuitt intended to kill Mr Spooner or “simply occasion him really serious harm”.

In a witness statement written for the police, Mr Spooner said he spent much of the day at the carnival drinking with his friends.

“Towards the end of the day of carnival he could hear shouting coming from somewhere and he realised he was somehow in the middle of it,” Mr Paltenghi told jurors.

“He then saw people fighting around him – three of them were quite close, they were throwing punches.

“He then recalls being hit in the back and upon looking at his arm saw it had been cut then looked down and saw that his intestines were hanging out. He put his hand over them and just ran.

“He cannot cast any light on why it was he would have been attacked.”

Tuitt denies attempted murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The trial continues.