Mustafa Momand was threatened over drug debt on Snapchat, court hears

Mustafa Momand, 17, was at Brighton Magistrates’ Court with his social worker over drug-related offences on the day he was killed in Queen’s Road.

A 16-year-old stabbed him with a “force so severe” that it penetrated his breast bone and severed one of his pulmonary arteries.

Mustafa’s social worker Trevor Rowe was at court with him on October 5 but went to the bathroom which is when Mustafa left towards Brighton Station.

Mr Rowe also walked to the station and said he saw a "commotion" up the road and then saw emergency services doing chest compressions.

He saw someone with white trainers and a black backpack and got closer to have a look. Mr Rowe then realised who that person was.

Forensic teams searching up the corner of Queen's Road and Gloucester Road (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

In a statement read out by prosecutor Nathan Rasiah KC, he said: “Mustafa gave no indication on the train down that he was frightened of anyone.

“Security at the court said he walked up the road. I saw a commotion from the ambulance and police and saw someone lying on the ground. They were doing chest pumps.

"His solicitor asked if he was still getting threats. He said he changed his number but was still getting threats on Snapchat.”

Snapchat is an app where people can send messages and pictures to each other.

Mustafa Momand died in October last year (Image: Family handout)

Mr Rowe told police he was Mustafa’s social worker. He went to the Royal Sussex County Hospital where police told him that Mustafa had died.

The court heard that Mustafa racked up a £20,000 shared debt and that he needed to pay it back otherwise “they will kill me”.

His dad Noor Momand got him a job in a chicken shop in Lewes Road, Brighton, and would wait outside for hours for Mustafa who told him he was scared the people who he owed money to would find him there.

The court heard on Monday that Mr Momand received a call from a man who said Mustafa owed him money in March 2023. He demanded that Mr Momand pay his son’s debt. He said he would only meet the man in a police station, the court heard.

A week later the same man called and said “where is your motherf***** son”. Mr Rasiah said police tracked the number to a man by the name of Gotti or Ziko and they saw that it had called the defendant’s phone the next day.

His parents “begged” authorities to send their son to juvenile prison as they “feared for his life”.

Mustafa was moved from social care in Bevendean to South Croydon in April 2023, a move which his family hoped would allow him to be safer, the court heard.

His family first suspected him of drug dealing when they discovered cannabis and scales in his room in November 2021 when he was 15. 

This escalated to him having 30 bags of crack cocaine, £800 in cash and knuckle dusters hidden in his room just months later, the court heard.

The trial continues.