Osvaldo was chased by a group of men, some armed
Three brothers and another man who stabbed a man to death following an ongoing dispute have been convicted of his murder.
Twenty-two-year-old Osvaldo de Carvalho was killed in Acton, London, on the evening of September 24, 2019.
Croydon Crown Court heard that the four defendants and Osvaldo had been involved in an ongoing dispute.
On the night of the killing, brothers Sukhminder (aged 25) and Michael Sohal (aged 28) met Osvaldo and two of his friends in Twyford Gardens.
They then called their other brother Kamal, aged 23, for support and reinforcement.
After the call, Kamal grabbed a large hunting knife which he brandished as he ran from his home to the scene.
Antoine George, aged 24, who had also been in the house, went with Kamal.
After his arrival and following a brief chase, Osvaldo ran into West Lodge Avenue while his two friends headed the other way.
Witnesses said that Osvaldo was chased by a group of men, some armed with knives.
They caught up with Osvaldo, surrounded him and stabbed him.
The brothers fled the scene and returned to Kamal’s address in Acton.
George left the area in a car that had been parked on the driveway outside Kamal’s flat.
A post-mortem revealed that Osvaldo had suffered several stab wounds, including a deep wound to his left leg which would have been caused by significant force.
His death was caused by a stab wound to his back which was so deep it nearly passed through his body.
In an attempt to cover their tracks, Michael and Sukhminder burned the clothes they had been wearing at the time of the stabbing.
An investigation was launched by detectives from the Specialist Crime South Command, under Detective Chief Inspector Vicky Tunstall.
On the day of the murder, George and Sukhminder went to a shop in Hounslow that sold knives.
They bought several knives and transported them to Kamal’s flat, however, none of them have been recovered.
Witness statements and CCTV footage helped officers to trace and arrest the suspects. They were all charged with murder.
The three brothers were subsequently found guilty of murder.
Antoine George was convicted of manslaughter while Karim Azab, aged 25, was found not guilty of murder.
DCI Tunstall said:
“This is a particularly tragic case with Osvaldo’s family having to live with the pain of his loss.”
“We know there had been previous hostility between these two groups and sadly that culminated in the events that unfolded that evening.
“The Sohal brothers had no qualms about arming themselves and – in Kamal’s case – running down a busy main road waving the weapon around in full view of all those around.
“They then subjected Osvaldo – who had no chance of defending himself – to a brutal and sustained attack.
“Osvaldo’s family, I hope, can find some comfort to their pain, knowing that these people have now been convicted.”
The four men will be sentenced at Croydon Crown Court at a later date.
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