A killer who stabbed a teenager to death in a ‘murderous’ gangland feud dating back years is facing a life sentence.
Kamal Nuur, 19, was murdered in a pushbike ‘ride out’ by 21-year-old Michael Lebbie after a series of tit-for-tat stabbings in north London.
Lebbie was looking to ‘kill or seriously injure anyone who was a member of the ’71st’ alliance of rival gangs’, the Old Bailey heard.
He was part of the ’51st’, an alliance principally made up from gangs on the Peckwater Estate and Queen’s Crescent in the London borough of Camden.
Mr Nuur, known locally as ‘Dirtz’, had been rehoused in Birmingham after he was stabbed and his family home attacked in 2018 – but he returned to the capital and was stabbed to death in Islington, north London, on September 14 2020.
Lebbie was convicted of murder by an Old Bailey jury in 2023 but his sentencing was delayed for the retrial of alleged accomplice Melvis Mariano.
Mariano, 25, denied murdering Mr Nuur and was cleared by a jury today after nine hours and 37 minutes of deliberation.
Abby Lowne, 22, denied and was cleared of assisting an offender, after being accused of booking an Uber for Mariano after the killing.
Kamal Nuur (pictured), 19, was murdered in a pushbike ‘ride out’ by 21-year-old Michael Lebbie after a series of tit-for-tat stabbings in north London
Mr Nuur was stabbed to death in Islington, north London, on September 14 2020
Abby Lowne (pictured), 22, denied and was cleared at the Old Bailey of assisting an offender
She was also accused of trying to give him an alibi by calling his phone which he had left away from the scene.
She wept in the dock as she was cleared of the charge and made a heart shape with her hands towards Mariano as she left the dock.
Mariano stood and asked if he was allowed to thank the jury but was told to sit down by the Judge Mark Dennis.
Lowne sat in the dock wearing a navy buttoned jacket, white crop top and blue jeans.
Lebbie and Lowne will appear in court again on Friday ahead of a sentencing date to be fixed.
Lebbie had been a victim of the ongoing violence in 2019 when he was run over and stabbed several times in March of that year and the victim had been previously stabbed in 2018.
A few weeks prior to that, a 51st associate was run over and stabbed 12 times in north-west London.
On April 1 2019, 51st associate Calvin Bungisa was stabbed to death – and then on May 2019 that year a 71st gang member Arif Biomy was repeatedly stabbed but survived.
Convicted killer Michael Lebbie was looking to ‘kill or seriously injure anyone who was a member of the ’71st’ alliance of rival gangs,’ the Old Bailey heard
Alex Smith, a member of the 51st, was murdered on 12 August 2019 – with four members of the 71st later convicted of his murder but two others suspects remaining at large.
Two associates of the 71st – also known as ‘Active Gxng’ – were stabbed, one of them dying, on September 12 2019.
Nine months later, on June 13 2020, a young male was shot in the face by 51st associates – and on July 28 that year a music video was uploaded taunting the 51st alliance over the murders of Alex Smith and Calvin Bungisa.
Prosecutor Charlotte Newell KC earlier told jurors at the latest trial: ‘The history reveals the bloody and murderous rivalry between the two groups, a rivalry of which Lebbie himself had been a victim when he was attacked in March 2019.’
Seven weeks later Lebbie rode out from the Torriano Estate – 51st ‘territory’ Goodinge Close, in close proximity to North Road – and murdered Kamal Nuur.
Ms Newell said he was ‘associated with the 51st images of both making pro-51st gang signs and anti-71st gang signs and as such had a motive to enter rival territory to inflict violence.
‘Kamal Nuur – aka “Dirtz” – was associated with the 71st. He was stabbed in June 2018 and his family home was attacked in November 2018.
‘Subsequently, the family moved to Birmingham, but Nuur returned to London to the area with which he was associated and was believed to be involved in the drug trade in that area.
On April 1 2019, 51st associate Calvin Bungisa (pictured) was stabbed to death
A music video uploaded in June 2020 taunting the 51st alliance over the murders of Alex Smith (pictured) and Calvin Bungisa.
‘He was attacked in an alleyway leading to North Road, Islington walking in the heart of the territory of the 71st and, as such, an easy target for anyone cruising the area looking for a rival gang member to attack.
‘He was stabbed eight times – he was able to move a short distance but collapsed and died in a car park area nearby.
‘CCTV shows two suspects approaching the alleyway on a bicycle. On seeing Nuur, they dropped the bike and chased him into the alleyway, out of sight of the CCTV cameras.
‘Approximately 22 seconds later the same suspects came out of the alleyway, got back onto the bike and rode off towards the Torriano Estate.’
Lebbie was linked to the murder by a series of CCTV images.
A so-called ‘diss track’ was uploaded to YouTube on in May 2021 by a man who had been with Lebbie and Alex Smith when Mr Nuur was stabbed.
The rap boasted: ‘Every time gang glide we keep commin back to the ends with a brand new pack. Now we got dirt [Kamal Nuur] on the bike.’
Lebbie, of Priory Green near King’s Cross in north London, denied but was convicted of Mr Naar’s murder.
Mariano, of no fixed address, denied murder and was cleared of the charge, while Lowne, from Camden, denied and was cleared of assisting an offender.
She was convicted of possession of a class A drug and refusing to disclose her phone PIN to the police at the first trial.
