A south London drug dealer is facing life imprisonment after being convicted of knifing a customer eight times during a deal.
Abdul Deghayes, 22, was the third of his parents' four sons to be killed after two of his brothers died fighting in Syria.
He died from massive blood loss following the attack by Daniel Macleod, 37, in the Elm Grove area of Brighton on February 16 last year.
During McCleod's trial at Southwark Crown Court in London, the jury heard the exact motive for the killing may never be known.
On the night of the stabbing, Mr Deghayes and his friend Colby Broderick had arranged to meet Macleod, of Gipsy Road, West Norwood, to buy cocaine outside a block of flats.
But when the victim left his car to conduct the deal, Macleod attacked him.
Although he managed to return to Mr Broderick's vehicle, Mr Deghayes lost consciousness when they were just a few streets away from the attack and died in hospital at 6am the next day.
The victim suffered eight stab wounds, including several major injuries to his legs and buttocks.
Prosecutor Adam Feest QC said injuries to the lower body were sometimes inflicted with the intention of maiming and humiliating victims because they could result in the need for a catheter or colostomy bag.
He said such attacks were sometimes referred to as "'bagging' or the 'Turkish revenge' among members of the drug-dealing, knife-wielding community".
Macleod denied murder, claiming he was acting in self-defence, and said he was "ashamed" at his involvement in the drug trade.
He said he had been sucked into the business after becoming "too friendly" with a network of dealers operating in the area whom he bought his own drugs from.
Macleod told the jury he blames himself for a stroke suffered by his beloved grandfather while he was facing charges.
The jury found him guilty of one count of murder following eight hours and 11 minutes of deliberations.
Macleod, who remained silent as the jury gave its verdicts, held his head down and said "wow" as he left the dock.
A second defendant, 56-year-old Stephen Burns, from Brighton, was found not guilty of assisting an offender for helping Macleod flee the scene and hide evidence.
Sentencing is due to take place at the same court at the end of October or in November.
Both defendants have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and that almost £24,000 in cash was found at an address connected with MacLeod.
The victim's father Abubaker Deghayes was present in court throughout the trial.
He previously described his son as a "cheerful guy" who was "very popular with his friends".
Two of Mr Deghayes's teenage brothers, including his twin, died fighting in Syria.
Abdullah was killed in 2016 aged 18 while their brother Jaffar, 17, was killed in 2014 while trying to overthrow Bashar Assad's government.
They are survived by a fourth brother, Amer, a former finance student, who also travelled to Syria.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel