Nathan Smith, 28, got out with a knife and stabbed part-time moped rider Takieddine Boudhane, 30, on the evening of January 3, 2020 following an incident in Finsbury Park, north London. He went on the run the day after the murder, leaving Mr Boudhane’s family to endure 17 months of “witnesses” and a “void” as he refused to accept responsibility before being forced to face a jury trial, the Old Bailey heard. Mr Boudhane’s father died before the trial and did not live to see justice done. Smith has said he should spend at least 21 years in prison. He was in a white VW Caddy van when moped rider Mr Boudhane had made a right-hand turn, before the fatal crash. Mr Boudhane, a chef, had become upset at the maneuver and words were exchanged, prosecutor Julian Evans QC told jurors. The situation escalated as Smith got out of his van on Charteris Street with a knife in his hand. Describing the CCTV footage of the incident, the prosecutor said: “As Smith was running towards him, Takientin turned his helmet towards Smith. That action, again prosecutors say, was defensive. “As Smith stepped onto the pavement, he ducked under the swinging helmet and swung his knife twice, in quick succession, into Takientin’s upper body. “It is the prosecution’s case that one of those two quick blows with the knife, each with force, entered Taqieddin’s chest.” Image: Takieddine Boudhane with his mother Smith spent 17 months running in Europe Despite suffering a 7.5cm wound, Mr Boudhane ran after Smith and hit the side of the van with his helmet as he drove away, the court heard. Mr Boudhane then collapsed to the ground. Despite the efforts of doctors at the scene, he died at 19.42. Smith left the country using his brother’s passport and bank card. When police searched for him at his parents’ address, the accused’s father showed them a video believed to be of his son with views of lakes and mountains. Police went on to recover Smith’s van and found bloodstains matching the victim’s DNA. In February 2020, an arrest warrant was issued for Smith, who returned to the UK after 17 months on the run in Europe. During his trial, Smith claimed he had acted “defensively” after the victim produced a screwdriver. Sentencing, Judge Mark Lucraft QC said Smith, of Archway, north London, had been “aggressive” throughout the attack and had strangled his victim at least five times. The attack took place in front of members of the public, including a witness who was “clearly disturbed” by what he saw. Smith was not working as a plumber on the night of the attack and had no legal or lawful reason to be in possession of a knife. Image: Takieddine Boudhane was a chef and part-time motorbike driver “Our lives will never be the same” Mr Boudhane’s mother Saide said the family’s lives had been “changed forever” as Smith acted out of “pure anger” in response to a “minor traffic offence”. The plan for the future was for her hard-working son to return to live with her in Algeria, but that won’t happen and “he wasn’t there to comfort me over the death of his father,” she said in her victim impact statement. He added: “When the defendant acted out of pure anger that night, he didn’t just kill my son, he killed my entire family. I hope no family ever has to go through this again.” He said: “My son, brother, uncle and nephew Takis have been taken from us and our lives will never be the same.” He added: “While my son was still lying in the street, this man had already started planning his escape from the country. “He would not accept responsibility for taking Takis’ life and as a result my family had to endure another 17 months of questioning how he was taken from us.
