The stabbings which left two young men dead in Camden on the same evening last February were part of five attacks launched by a gang of knifemen during two hours of violence across north London, the Old Bailey heard.

Ham & High: In Malden Road police found a man, named locally as Sadiq Aadam, believed to be in his 20s with serious stab injuries. He was also pronounced dead at the scene. Picture: EMILY BANKSIn Malden Road police found a man, named locally as Sadiq Aadam, believed to be in his 20s with serious stab injuries. He was also pronounced dead at the scene. Picture: EMILY BANKS (Image: Archant)

Sadiq Aadam Mohammed and Abdikarim Hasan were both killed on February 20 last year, while a third man was also stabbed by the attackers – who prowled the capital in stolen vehicles for two hours.

Seven suspects are on trial at the Old Bailey after the spree in which Abdikarim Hassan, 17, and Sadiq Mohammed, 20, were murdered.

Isaiah Popoola, Christian Thomas and Anuoluwa Temenu, all 19, deny murdering Mr Hassan.

Ben Drummond, JJ Fatuga, both also 19, and Popoola deny murdering Mr Mohammed.

Prosecuting, Julian Evans said: “A group of young men embarked upon a series of violent attacks across parts of central and east London.

“These attacks left two young men dead and another young man wounded.

“Members of the group who carried out this violence were armed with knives or with other bladed weapons.”

The first attack happened near Euston station at about 8.15pm when two knifemen, said to be Thomas and Temenu, got out of a stolen silver BMW and set upon two men.

The attackers “used their weapons in thrusting and stabbing motions” to target one victim as the other escaped.

Popoola remained in the car before the gang fled, the jury heard.

Less than 10 minutes later Mr Hassan was murdered in Bartholomew Road, Kentish Town, moments after CCTV filmed the BMW heading towards him.

Mr Evans said the “same team of four men” were behind the 30-second attack, which was not caught on camera.

“Mr Hassan suffered stab wounds to his chest and back from which he later died,” he said.

The attackers then drove to the nearby Peckwater Estate, “a significant location in this case”, and joined others including Drummond, Fatuga and a 17-year-old defendant, jurors heard.

A witness saw 20 or 25 “excited” young men there before up to 15 got into a stolen blue Ford Transit van, the court heard.

At least nine men, including six of the defendants, got in armed with knives, Mr Evans said.

Temenu is then believed to have been driven home before the third attack at 9.18pm, the court heard.

Seven armed men got out of the van outside a Co-op in Hackney and approached another group which ran away, apart from one man who was punched and kicked.

Roughly 40 minutes later the van arrived at North Road, Camden, before a man was seen on CCTV being chased down a nearby street, but escaped.

Mr Evans said Thomas and the 17-year-old defendant then left the group before Mr Mohammed was murdered in the final attack.

He was chased and stabbed at about 10.19pm in Malden Road, Kentish Town, by four men armed with bladed weapons.

Mr Mohammed got into the back seat of a stationary car and told the driver to “go, go”, but she ran away fearing she was being robbed.

Mr Evans said: “Mr Mohammed was dragged outside and he went to the ground. There, he was attacked by all four men.

“In the seconds that followed he was repeatedly stabbed about his body.”

He said Popoola and Drummond are suspected of being among knifemen in that “sustained” attack.

The van was found damaged by fire in a covered car park beneath flats in Kentish Town the following day, the jury heard.

On February 22 the silver BMW was found near Popoola’s address and a key was found outside his building, Mr Evans said.

Droplets of blood on the bonnet, offside panel and inside the car allegedly matched Mr Hassan’s DNA.

A rucksack inside the car also contained a black face covering which contained Popoola’s DNA, jurors heard.

Mr Evans said Popoola later told police he visited a shrine to murdered 19-year-old Lewis Blackman, who died on February 18, and went home on the night of the murders.

Popoola and Thomas, of Camden, and Temenu, of Hackney, also deny wounding with intent and attempted wounding with intent.

Drummond and Fatuga, both of Camden, Popoola, Thomas and a 17-year-old boy also deny violent disorder.

A seventh defendant, another 17-year-old boy, denies assisting offenders.