THE man who stabbed a Somali student to death wanted to plead guilty to murder in October, jurors heard today.

Hassan Kul Hawadleh, 19, of West Hendon, was stabbed twice in the chest by Abdul Khan on the forecourt of the Wealdstone Total garage, in February, in what prosecutors described as a “merciless attack”.

Mr Khan and three other men are accused of acting together, murdering the victim, attempting to murder his friend Abdiwahab Guiled and, hours earlier, beating up a third man, Wasarme Guiled.

A fourth man, Ahmed Muse, allegedly only survived the petrol station attack because he hid behind a pregnant Somali woman.

Prosecutors say the violence was the “bloody culmination” of a week of feuding.

Mr Khan, of Enderley Road, Wealdstone, initially denied landing the blows that killed Mr Hawadleh, claiming he saw co-defendant Onochie Madekwe, 33, make stabbing motions towards the victim while holding a knife.

But the Old Bailey today heard how after seeing CCTV footage of the incident on October 5 he asked to enter a guilty plea to murder while the jury were not in court.

The case was adjourned and the following day Mr Khan retracted his request on the basis he did not accept he murdered Mr Hawadleh.

Michael Holland QC, Mr Khan’s defence barrister, outlined his clients new defence case, saying the knife was only carried for protection.

He said: “The Somali community in Harrow had a reputation for dealing in drugs and carrying weapons. He saw weapons in the days before and was himself threatened. “ He continued: “The defendant accepts that he stabbed Kul Hawadleh at the Total garage and was responsible for the wounds which led to his death.

“At the time he acted instinctively, in the heat of the moment, with no opportunity for thought.

“He feared Kul Hawadleh might be armed and before he stabbed Kul he believed that Kul had made a movement as if to reach for a weapon.

“He didn’t intend to kill or cause serious injury but only intended to prevent an attack that might be made on him.”

Mr Holland told how on the day Mr Khan asked to plead guilty Mr Madekwe, of Kingsbury, “was behaving very much like he has been behaving all through the trial. He had been shouting out.

“He had repeatedly been shouting that he was not prepared to sit next to a murderer. He had been warned about his behaviour.”

Mr Khan admits he stabbed Abdiwahab Guiled in the buttocks and back during the same incident and invites the jury to convict him of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.

His plea has not been accepted by the prosecution who have given the jury another alternative - attempted murder.

He also admits the attack on Wasarme Guiled in a William Hill betting shop, in High Street, Wealdstone, hours earlier, which has been accepted.

He says he and his co-defendants had not planned the attack.

Mr Madekwe, Andrew Spence, 22, of Ealing, and Michael Anthony Boyde, 37, of Willesden, deny murder.

They also deny attempted murder and grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent for an alleged attack on Abdiwahab Guiled at the same time as the killing.

Mr Madekwe denies violent disorder in relation to an attack on Wasarme Guiled earlier the same evening.

The trial continues.