Yousef Makki: Man denies lying about teenage stabbing victim

By Yunus Mulla & Lynette Horsburgh

BBC News

A man who fatally stabbed his friend in what he said was a case of self-defence has denied “lying” in order to make the dead boy come across as “aggressive”.

Joshua Molnar was giving evidence at the second inquest into 17-year-old Yousef Makki’s death in March 2019 in Hale Barns, Cheshire.

Molnar has previously been cleared of Yousef’s manslaughter and murder.

But he was jailed for perverting the course of justice by lying to police at the scene and having a knife in public.

Stockport Coroner’s Court heard there were differences between his accounts of what happened on the night of the Manchester Grammar School pupil’s death.

These involved Molnar’s initial statements and evidence he gave in his criminal trial and in the first inquest.

Yousef was stabbed in the heart after a row by Molnar, then aged 17, on the evening of 2 March 2019 on Gorse Bank Road.

Coroner Geraint Williams told him: “I must repeat the warning to you… if you give an answer that is false it is an offence called perjury.

“You are increasing the detail of what happened to show Mr Makki was being more aggressive… that you are lying to show it was self-defence.”

Molnar replied: “I wasn’t lying. I tried to explain it the best I can multiple times.

“I can only put it down to an issue with my memory.”

Molnar said he could no longer remember who pulled the knife first.

He said four years had passed since the incident, and that his evidence had been “more accurate” at his criminal trial.

Mr Williams suggested Yousef did not pull a knife.

“He didn’t hit you, he may have been goading you and you then pull a knife,” the coroner said.

“That didn’t happen,” said Molnar. “I don’t think it makes any logical sense.”

This is the second inquest into Yousef’s death, following the High Court quashing the conclusions of the first in November 2021.

It is being heard by a new coroner.

Yousef’s family brought a judicial review challenging the original coroner’s finding that there was insufficient evidence on the “central issue” of whether Yusuf’s killing had been unlawful.

The fresh inquest has already heard from Yousef’s best friend Adam Chowdhary.

While Chowdhary, also 17 at the time, had been with Yousef and Molnar, he said he had not seen the stabbing.

Chowdhary said he had been preoccupied with his phone at the time and he only discovered what had happened when Yousef lifted his shirt to show him his wound.

The inquest heard both Molnar and Chowdhary had initially told police that someone else was involved, who had driven away in a car.

Chowdhary said he was in “shock” and talking “gibberish” because he was in “panic”.

He said he was not lying but he had heard Molnar mention the car.

Molnar denied “cooking up” a story and making an agreement with Chowdary.

“There was no conversation about agreements,” Molnar said.

Chowdhary has previously been found not guilty of perverting the course of justice but was given a four-month detention order after admitting possessing a flick knife.

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