UK court hears case of Nigerian student killed over fake Rolex debt

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The court handling the case of a murdered Nigerian student, Khaleed Oladipo, has heard that he was allegedly stabbed to death by a former friend following a dispute over money linked to a fake Rolex watch.n

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According to The Independent on Monday, Oladipo, 20, a third-year De Montfort University student, was on the phone with his girlfriend when he was attacked on Oxford Street, Leicester, on February 3. The accused, 18-year-old University of Leicester student Harper Dennis, denies murder.

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Prosecutor Jane Osborne KC told Leicester Crown Court that the two students had previously been friends after meeting through online gaming, but their relationship later broke down over money.

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“They had previously been friends. But there had been a falling out, seemingly over money that, at the very least, Harper Dennis perceived was owed to him by Khaleed Oladipo,” Osborne said.

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The court heard that the dispute followed Dennis’ unsuccessful attempt to sell a fake Rolex allegedly given to him by Oladipo. Prosecutors said Dennis believed Oladipo owed him £3,000 after the watch was rejected by a jeweller.

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Osborne alleged that Dennis later confronted Oladipo outside the De Montfort University Innovation Centre, where the two struggled briefly before Oladipo was stabbed.

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“It would seem the perceived debt was the reason that Harper Dennis attacked Khaleed Oladipo in the street on the 3rd of February,” the prosecutor told the court.

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Oladipo suffered six wounds, including five to his chest, with one penetrating his heart. The court heard that he was still speaking to his girlfriend during the attack and asked, “Why did you come up and stab me?”

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The prosecution also alleged that Dennis had made threatening calls to Oladipo’s girlfriend before the killing and sent messages threatening to make Oladipo suffer.

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Dennis, who was arrested shortly after the incident, is also facing charges of possessing a bladed article and failing to provide the PIN for his mobile phone.

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The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, is ongoing.

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