A 19-year-old student has been convicted of manslaughter after fatally stabbing his former friend in a dispute that began over a counterfeit Rolex watch. Harper Dennis was found guilty by a jury at Leicester Crown Court following a two-week trial.
The incident occurred on the evening of February 3 near De Montfort University in Leicester. Dennis plunged a knife five times into the chest of 20-year-old Khaleed Oladipo. The jury acquitted Dennis of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter, possessing an offensive weapon, and failing to provide the passcode to his phone.
Prosecutor Jane Osborne KC told the court that Dennis killed Oladipo, whom he had met through online gaming, due to a "perceived debt." The stabbing took place on Oxford Street, an area near the university's Innovation Centre. CCTV footage captured the confrontation, which lasted less than 30 seconds.
Witnesses reported that Oladipo was on the phone with his girlfriend when the attack happened. His girlfriend reportedly heard him say, "why did you come up and stab me?" before asking her to call an ambulance. A post-mortem examination revealed Oladipo sustained six wounds, with five to the chest, including one that penetrated his heart, and an additional wound to his thumb.