Two convicted after 18-year-old fatally stabbed in Walthamstow

Marvin Ward and Alexis Morris had agreed to meet Hussain Chaudhry on March 17 at his home address in Lea Bridge Road to buy a designer jacket that he had advertised for sale on social media.

The trio, along with two of Hussain’s friends, went inside Hussain’s address after Morris asked if he had a jacket in a smaller size.

After initially appearing willing to pay for the jacket, Ward and Morris then got out knives and threatened Hussain, Wood Green Crown Court heard.

Ward, 18, ordered a cab to pick them up, while Morris demanded to go upstairs into Hussain’s room.

Hussain Chaudhry (photo Met Police)

Morris, also 18, began searching the home for more jackets while Ward held Hussain and his friends at knifepoint in the family sitting room.

Upon hearing that his mother had returned home, Hussain went to protect her from the intruders in the family home.

After hearing a commotion in the house, Hussain’s two brothers came out of their rooms and managed to detain Morris. 

An altercation occurred and spilled into the street where members of the Chaudhry household were seeking to detain Ward who had attempted to escape the scene with the jacket in a waiting taxicab.

During the struggle, Hussain suffered a fatal stab injury to his neck, his mother suffered a serious injury to her thumb and his brother an injury to his hand.

Ward then fled the scene.

Emergency services were called and despite the efforts of an off-duty doctor, Hussain died at the scene a short time later.

Morris managed to escape from an upstairs window of the property and then ran away.

Homicide detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command carried out an investigation.

Through CCTV and mobile phone analysis Ward and Morris were identified as the suspects.

Ward was arrested on 19 March and Morris two days later.

Morris, who was arrested at an address in Luton, had been helped to evade police capture by a man named Anthony Nguyen.

Ward, of Westwood Road, Ilford, and Morris, 18, of South Park Drive, Ilford, were both found guilty on Friday, 17 December 2021 after a seven-week trial at Wood Green Crown Court.

Morris was also found guilty of possession of a Machete in a public place and they were both also found guilty of maliciously wounding Hussain’s mother and brother during the incident.

Alexis Morris (left) and Marvin Ward (right) have been convicted (photo Met Police

Nguyen, 18, of Lyndon Road, Belvedere, was found guilty of assisting an offender.

They will be sentenced on Friday, February 4, 2022.

Anthony Nguyen (photo Met Police)

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Stubbins, the senior officer in the case, said: “Hussain’s murder was a tragedy that shocked the community to its core. His life was tragically cut short due to the actions of two young men the same age as him.

"It could have been anybody’s son . He was a hardworking student studying law at the SOAS University of London. He kept himself out of trouble and was selling some clothes to make some extra cash. Ward and Morris went purposefully to Hussain’s family home to commit a robbery and steal the clothes.

“They had made clear arrangements to facilitate this by taking large machete style knives, fake money and stalling things to get into a booked taxi. If things went wrong, they would happily and willingly resort to threatening or using violence. The circumstances of a designer clothing sale should never have resulted in his life ending in such a brutal way.

“This case demonstrates the devastating consequences of arming yourself with a knife in order to commit crime.

“Hussain’s family, who tried to defend and protect him on the day, have not only been left with physical scars, but face the huge emotional and psychological burden of trying to come to terms with his death.

“I would like to pay tribute to the family and all the witnesses who have attended court to ensure that Hussain’s killers are brought to justice.”