Daily Mail
February 21, 2014
The mother of a teenage soldier stabbed to death in Cyprus broke down in tears at an inquest as two of his killer’s friends refused to answer key questions over her son’s death.
Fusilier David Collins, 18, was stabbed in the heart with a flick knife as he tried to settle a nightclub dispute in the party resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus.
He died without knowing his young girlfriend Aimee Williams was pregnant with his second child.
The 17-year-old delivered a healthy girl five months after his death.
David’s killer Mohamed Abdulkadir Osman, 20, originally from Somalia, but living in London, was jailed for eight years in Cyprus for manslaughter after claiming he was ‘provoked’ and ‘lost self-control’.
Two of Osman’s friends Umar Anwar and Tukki Abbas Shah, both 18 were initially arrested in connection with the killing but were later freed – even though 11 flick knives and two knuckle dusters were found in the hotel room they were all were sharing.
During an inquest in Stockport, Greater Manchester, on Thursday Lisa Minot, 38, was reduced to tears as the two men refused to answer questions and maintained her son had started an argument by asking the three men ‘are you bad men?’
They claimed the statement was British slang for wanting a fight – but they refused to answer a number of questions after advice from a coroner that they did not have to say anything which could be incriminating.
Afterward Mrs Minott said: ‘We are disappointed that Anwar and Shah who were involved in the incident which led to David’s killing decided to rely on their right not to answer some of the questions which were potentially self-incriminatory rather than give the inquest a full and true account of what happened.
‘This has left us with unanswered questions, in particular about the motives for this senseless killing.
‘We know that nothing can bring David back. Our primary concerns throughout the process therefore has been that nothing like this ever happens again.’
At the time of his death in November 2012 David was based at a British Army base at Dhekelia and had traveled to Ayia Napa to go clubbing with army colleagues as a final celebration before flying to Afghanistan the following day.
While in Club Black ‘N White, friends from the 2nd Batallion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers saw David, of Chorlton, Manchester, mopping blood from his face after he said he was punched.
David approached Osman and his two friends and a scuffle broke out. Fusilier James Sullivan and another soldier – Fusilier Jordan Ramsbottom – attempted to diffuse the situation but David was ejected from the club by security.
While outside, Mr Ramsbottom noticed that David’s t-shirt was covered in blood and he had a one inch stab wound close to his heart. He collapsed at the scene and was pronounced dead by paramedics who attended.
Mr Ramsbottom told the hearing: ‘I saw David and he was dancing but he was holding his face because it was bleeding. I went to the bar to ask for tissues. Someone had punched him and I asked who and he said he didn’t know but was going to find the guy and ask.