A CARPENTER described yesterday how he grabbed Damilola Taylor as he collapsed bleeding to death and cradled the schoolboy in his arms.
Guillermo Casal told an Old Bailey jury that the boy’s last words were “I’m OK. I’m OK.” But the workman told the court: “I knew he was not OK.” Giving evidence on the second day of the trial of three teenagers accused of murdering Damilola, he said: “I was cradling the boy. I was waiting for the ambulance to arrive.”
As Mr Casal waited, he saw three young boys dressed in black and wearing hoods. One of the boys then gestured to him, drawing a line across his left thigh with his left hand, and the three then walked away. The court has been told that Damilola, 10, bled to death after being stabbed in the left thigh during a robbery as he walked home from school in Peckham, South London, in November 2000.
Two brothers aged 17 and 18, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and Hassan Jihad, 20, all from South London, deny murder, manslaughter and assault with intent to rob. Four other youths were cleared of the charges in a trial in 2002.
Mr Casal said that he came across Damilola as he was returning to his office. He saw a trail of blood and after following it up two flights of steps, he came across Damilola, leaning against a wall. He said: “I saw a little boy. He was standing up. I looked him in the eyes. He looked at me. I saw he was falling down and ran quickly and grabbed him.
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“I asked him if he was all right and if he needed help,” said Mr Casal. “I was calling an ambulance with my phone. I screamed. I was getting angry at them because they were asking questions.” He said he realised that Damilola was seriously injured and did all he could for him. Mr Casal also called for help from workmates. One took over the call to the ambulance as they waited for help to arrive.
Yesterday the court heard that Damilola’s mother, Gloria, told police in a statement that the boy had nothing with him worth stealing.
“Damilola used to take only his schoolwork with him. He never took cash with him,” she said in a statement read in court. Damilola had complained to his father that he was being bullied in school. Mrs Taylor had been summoned to see the head teacher on the morning that Damilola died, after a complaint that he had been fighting.
Mark Parsons, the head teacher of Oliver Goldsmith school, said Damilola was “always smiling”. He had explained to Mrs Taylor that Damilola’s misbehaviour had been at the “lowest level” and that he was an excitable boy who needed to calm down.
The case continues.