AN off-duty taxi driver heard a gang of men threatening to kill a terrified reveller as he sought refuge in a Sheffield takeaway, a court heard.
Wajid Hussein told a jury at Sheffield Crown Court of the final moments leading up to the stabbing of Imran Ilyas in the Southern Fried Chicken shop on London Road.
Mr Hussein had been eating in the shop when Mr Ilyas, aged 22, came in after being chased by the gang.
Giving evidence, he said: "I heard a bit of shouting. The lad ran into the shop and a group of lads outside were shouting at him to come out.
"They seemed to me as though they wanted a fight. I heard the words 'Get him out, we're going to kill him'."
Lloyd Horner, aged 26, of Richmond Park Road, Richmond has pleaded guilty to murder after accepting he wielded the knife which caused 10 wounds to Mr Ilyas' neck, arm, back and abdomen.
His friend, Nathan Bonnick, 24, of Ellison Street, Upperthorpe is charged with murder on the grounds the attack, in the early hours of Friday May 19, was a joint enterprise. He is accused of supplying the knife, knowing what Horner might do with it and that he punched Mr Ilyas as Horner stabbed him. He denies the charge.
Another taxi driver, Naseem Aslam, told the court how he had initially stood in the doorway of the fast food outlet to prevent the gang of men, who were shouting in "an aggressive manner", getting inside to attack Mr Ilyas.
He said: "One of them got on their phone and he said 'Come to London Road. I've got beef - bring the shooters down'.
Mr Aslam said he saw Horner ask Bonnick for a knife. At first Bonnick refused but when Horner asked more forcefully, he handed it over.
When Mr Aslam again tried to stop the men getting past him into the shop, Horner threatened him with the knife.
"He walked up to me and put the knife next to my stomach and said 'who wants it?'" he told the court. "He started waving it towards my neck. I moved away and he rushed past me towards Imran and started stabbing him. I ran out of the shop and made a 999 call."
Witness Aroom Mohammed watched from his parked taxi as the knife had been passed to Horner. He said: "It seemed as if one man didn't want to give it to the other one but he seemed to force him into it."
During the stabbing, Mr Hussein says he heard one of the gang urge Horner to stop.
"Somebody did shout out 'Lloyd, don't do it' a couple of times," he said. "But I don't know who was saying it."
The trial continues.

http://www.sheffieldtoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=58&ArticleID=1839683