Man denies 'cooking up story' over Yousef Makki stabbing

A teenager arrested after the knife he bought was used to fatally stab a 17-year-old schoolboy has denied he "cooked up a story" to lie and protect himself.

Adam Chowdhary, now 21, was told at a second inquest into the death of his friend Yousef Makki he must tell the truth or would be committing perjury.

He was present when Joshua Molnar stabbed Yousef in Cheshire in 2019.

Molnar was cleared of murder and manslaughter in criminal court.

He had claimed self-defence.

He was jailed, however, for perverting the course of justice - by lying to police at the scene - and carrying a knife in public.

The second inquest is being held at Stockport Coroner's Court after the High Court quashed the conclusions of the first in November 2021 and ordered fresh proceedings.

On the night of his death, Mr Chowdhary and Molnar had been out on their bikes with Yousef, from Burnage, Manchester, who had won a scholarship to the £12,000-a-year Manchester Grammar School.

At the school, Yousef had became best friends with Mr Chowdhary, who knew Molnar. All three were then 17.

After a row, Yousef was stabbed in the heart by Molnar in the Hale Barns area of Cheshire.

The fresh inquest follows a challenge by Yousef's family to the findings of the first that there was not enough evidence relating to the "central issue" of whether the killing was unlawful.

Mr Chowdhary had bought a flick knife online for him and Yousef and Molnar told his criminal trial that after a row with the latter, the knives were produced and there was a "coming together".

Mr Chowdhary told the inquest that although he was with the boys he did not see the stabbing because he was on his phone and did not know about it until Yousef lifted his shirt to show him the wound.

Coroner Geraint Williams said phone records showed Mr Chowdhary's last call was at 18:35 GMT.

He said: "There were no incoming or outgoing calls or data usage (from) looking at things on the internet. We know approximately one minute later Yousef was stabbed.

"What exactly were you doing on your phone in that minute?"

Mr Chowdhary said: "I can't tell you but I can tell you my attention was drawn to the phone."

Mr Williams challenged Mr Chowdhary about what he told emergency services on the phone after Yousef was stabbed and he called 999.

The coroner said: "It's right, isn't it, the operator asked you about what had happened and it's right that you did not tell them the truth of matters, there and then?"

Mr Chowdhary said: "Not true. I did not lie."

Mr Williams continued: "You are saying the attacker has made off. That's not true."

Mr Chowdhary responded: "Back in hindsight, yeah."

Mr Williams said: "Forget hindsight. There was no attacker that made off, was there? So you were not being honest with the emergency services."

Mr Chowdhary replied: "No, I don't accept that. I have got Yousef in front of me. I'm in severe shock and panic at this point. The person on the phone was calm, I was not."

Mr Williams said: "Calm or panicking, that's a lie. It's not once you are asked, it's three times. Each time you say the attacker has left."

Mr Chowdhary said he only mentioned a silver or grey car being in the area at the time of the attack because he heard Molnar mention it.

Mr Williams said: "Did you and Mr Molnar agree to cook up a story about what happened?

"It is suggested you were much closer to the action than you have indicated, that you must have seen what happened and you have lied about your involvement to protect yourself."

Mr Chowdhary said: "That's not true. I did not see Joshua stab Yousef."

Peter Weatherby KC, representing Yousef's family, asked Mr Chowdhary about him "positively asserting" a car was involved, telling a police officer: "I saw a whip. A car."

Mr Chowdhary suggested he said it because he was in turmoil.

But Mr Williams said: "No, no, no. You are saying 'I saw it'.

"Throughout his evidence, he's been seeking to evade answering a question by going to extraneous matters."

Tom Coke-Smyth, representing Mr Chowdhary and addressing the coroner, said: "Well, that's your view. That's an opinion. It is not an opinion that is necessarily one I support or agree with. What I'm duty bound to say is Mr Chowdhary is entitled to answer the question in the way he wants to. This is not a criminal trial."

Molnar was jailed for 16 months.

At criminal trial, Mr Chowdhary was found not guilty of perverting the course of justice and given a four-month detention order after admitting having the knife.

The inquest continues.

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