Man killed Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman after seeking deal with the devil to win lottery, court hears

Defendant bought lottery tickets after attack, jury told

Bibaa Henry (left) and Nicole Smallman (right) were found dead last year (Metropolitan Police/PA)

A man accused of killing Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry made a deal with “the devil” in which he promised to sacrifice women in return for winning the lottery, a court has heard.

Danyal Hussein, 19, wrote a pact agreeing to kill random women, as long as he didn’t get caught.

The 19-year-old is alleged to have gone on to stab both sisters in a brutal attack in a park in north west London 12 months ago.

Shortly after the killings, he bought several lottery tickets, three of which were found tucked inside the hand-written agreement he had made with a demon, the jury at the Old Bailey was told.

Outlining the prosecution case, Oliver Glasgow QC said Mr Hussein murdered Ms Smallman, 27, and Ms Henry, 46, in the early hours of June 6 last year.

Earlier that night, Ms Henry had been celebrating her birthday with her sister and friends in Fryent Country Park in Wembley.

The women’s bodies were found intertwined and concealed in a hedgerow the next day.

Mr Glasgow said: "When the defendant’s bedroom was searched, the police found a handwritten document purporting to be an agreement between the defendant and a demon, in which he promised to sacrifice women in order to win the lottery and not to be suspected of any crime he had committed.

"It would appear that the defendant had confidence that his plan would work since following the fatal attacks upon Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, the defendant purchased several lottery tickets and three lottery tickets folded up inside the agreement he had written with the devil."

Mr Glasgow added: "As it turned out, the demon did not come good on the bargain since not only did the defendant not win the lottery but the police identified all the evidence that links him to these two murders."

The court heard Mr Hussein went to the park to “lie in wait for potential victims” the evening of the attack.

The prosecution said the women had been "butchered" one after the other, with Ms Henry stabbed eight times and her younger sister stabbed 28 times to her upper body.

Mr Glasgow suggested Ms Henry was taken by surprise and overpowered first, then Ms Smallman attempted to fight off her attacker.

He said they were then dragged into undergrowth in the park.

Describing the scene, he said: "The bodies of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman lay on their sides, they were top to toe and their limbs were intertwined, both of them had been repeatedly stabbed and they were clearly dead.

"The attack upon them had been as savage as it was devastating."

The court heard the defendant had gone to Asda to buy five kitchen knives around 48 hours before the attack.

The prosecution also said Mr Hussein went to hospital the day after the attack with cuts to his hand, claiming he had been mugged.

Mr Hussein, of Guy Barnett Grove, Blackheath, southeast London, has denied double murder and possessing a knife.

The trial before Mrs Justice Whipple is due to go on for up to four weeks.

Additional reporting by Press Association