A 40-year-old man is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court accused of fatally stabbing Hozar Ali in a street altercation sparked by a financial disagreement. Imran Khan allegedly inflicted a knife wound to Mr Ali’s chest on Wood Green Road, Winson Green, shortly after 8.40pm on 23 February this year.
Prosecutors presented CCTV footage purportedly capturing the deadly encounter, according to the court proceedings. Following the stabbing, Khan is said to have fled the scene, walked through several streets, entered a shop, and greeted someone there.
During his arrest, Khan reportedly attempted to shift blame to an innocent neighbour named ‘Khaled’, who had no involvement in the incident. Khan, from Edward Road, Balsall Heath, denies charges of murder and possessing a knife in a public place.
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In opening statements on 18 August, prosecutor Edward Brown KC described the sequence of events leading to Mr Ali’s death at 28. “He was stabbed to the chest, with the knife penetrating his lung and severing an artery. Despite emergency medical efforts, he could not be saved.”
Mr Brown explained that the fatal wound was approximately 10cm deep, indicating a substantial blade, though the weapon was never recovered. The argument between Khan and Mr Ali reportedly began in a nearby woman’s home before continuing outside onto the street where the stabbing took place.
“The defendant was the aggressor. The deceased was reluctant to go outside but was ultimately attacked there,” Mr Brown said. He added that Khan’s claim identifying Khaled as responsible was a deliberate attempt to mislead police and direct suspicion away from himself.
Mr Ali had been staying intermittently at the woman’s house on Wood Green Road, where he had been resting while unwell with flu. Khan was known to visit the premises occasionally, requesting items such as sugar, cigarettes, or money.
On the evening of the incident, Khan returned to ask for a cigarette and confronted Mr Ali about money he believed was owed to him. The argument escalated, with Khan reportedly abusing Mr Ali, including derogatory remarks about his family. Initially, Mr Ali tried to avoid engagement due to his illness, but the dispute intensified. Approximately 50 minutes after returning outside, the fatal stabbing occurred.
The trial is ongoing as the court examines the evidence presented.