A phone belonging to a friend of Yousef Makki had some of its data wiped, an inquest into the fatal stabbing has heard.
Yousef, a high-flying Manchester Grammar School pupil from Burnage, died after being stabbed in the heart by friend Joshua Molnar in Hale Barns, Trafford, on March 2, 2019. He was 17.
On the fourth day of an inquest into the tragedy, the court heard police seized a mobile that belonged to a friend who was with Yousef on the night of the stabbing, Adam Chowdhary.
Chowdhary, then 17, was arrested but told police had not seen the stabbing and suggested the culprits had made off in a car.
READ MORE: Detective tells Yousef Makki inquest his friends were 'clearly lying' at scene
On the night of the stabbing, the youth, from a wealthy family, was allowed to return to his home on Carrwood, Hale, with his mother and it was only after he had been arrested there that cops found his phone in the pocket of the front passenger side door of his mother’s car, the inquest heard.
When police examined his mobile, they discovered some of the data had been erased, the inquest was told.
Martin Bottomley, the head of the major crime review unit at Greater Manchester Police, told Stockport Corners’ Court some material from Adam Chowdhary’s phone was deleted, although some of it was later recovered. He was not able to say how much of the material was deleted.
Mr Bottomley said: "Normally what's deleted is images, WhatsApp messages. But I can't say that's happened in this case."
Chowdhary was acquitted of perverting the course of justice following a trial at Manchester Crown Court. He was given a four-month detention and training order after admitting possession of a flick knife.
Yousef’s friend, Joshua Molnar, also 17 at the time but now 19, from Hale, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter following a trial at Manchester Crown Court.
He told the jury Yousef pulled a knife first and said he acted in self-defence when he stabbed Yousef.
However, he admitted possessing the knife which inflicted the fatal injury, as well as lying to police at the scene.
He was sentenced to a 16-month detention and training order before being released last February.
The inquiry heard that Adam Chowdhary had called Ali Ezzedine, an alleged drug dealer he knew as ‘Cali’, to source cannabis worth £45 on the afternoon before the stabbing and that a string of calls ensued between the pair.
Yousef Makki, Joshua Molnar and Adam Chowdhary were captured on CCTV in the underground car park of Booths supermarket in Hale before heading to a rendezvous on a lane near Manchester Airport with ‘Cali’.
But Joshua Molnar was allegedly beaten by two associates who Ezzedine had driven to the meet, brothers Ibrahim and Wasim Choudhry (no relation to Adam Chowdhary), before his £1,000 Starling bike was thrown over a hedge.
The prosecution at the 2019 trial alleged the the meeting was an attempt to to rob Ezzedine - who told police at the time Molnar pulled at the handle of his car door and he believed the youth was reaching for a knife. But Molnar was found not guilty of conspiracy to rob.
Mr Bottomley, however, told the inquest his 'firm view' was that the bust-up was 'not a drug deal gone wrong' but a 'revenge attack' on Joshua Molnar.
The officer pointed to an incident in Wilmslow two weeks earlier, on February 17, 2019, which saw Molnar arrested and then de-arrested.
The inquiry heard allegations that the Choudhry brothers blamed Molnar after their cousin Moussa was beaten by a gang of 15 or 16 people in Subway, Wilmslow.
One of the brothers was said to have seen Molnar sitting in a police car following the incident.
The Choudhry brothers refused to answer a sting of questions when they appeared as witnesses at the inquest, including whether or not they knew Yousef Makki, Joshua Molnar or Adam Chowdhary before the stabbing.
It was suggested to the pair the attack on Molnar was part of a series of assaults following the Subway attack but they refused to answer.
Ibrahim Choudhry, known as 'Ibz', told the inquest there had been a 'no further action' decision as part of an investigation into an allegation they perverted the course of justice but he said he had received legal advice that any answers may result in the case being resurrected.
Both brothers said any answers they gave could incriminate them.
Their associate Ezzedine, who was in the same sixth form as Joshua Molnar, also refused to answer a string of questions when he appeared at the inquest on Wednesday.
The inquiry heard Adam Chowdhary cycled away before the alleged assault on Molnar and that Yousef Makki was nearby but was not part of the violence.
Questioned by Senior South Manchester Coroner Alison Mutch, Mr Bottomley said: "My impression is Josh was unimpressed with Yousef not taking a role in the altercation."
But he added: "If Joshua had fallen out with anyone it would be Adam more than anyone."
Molnar was said to have taken Chowdhary's jacket and told him it wouldn't be returned until his bike had been retrieved.
Mr Bottomley detailed to the inquest the accounts which had been given by Joshua Molnar and Adam Chowdhary to the police.
Joshua Molnar had said Yousef produced two knives and that Yousef came to him with one of the knives and that as far as he knew, Adam didn't have a knife.
He had said when the men arrived in the car, Adam cycled off. He admitted to the men he was Joshua Molnar and that they beat him and threw his bike over a hedge.
Molnar told officers 'Yousef was some distance away' from the incident and that he started looking for the bike. When Adam reappeared, he was upset with him and took his coat and said he would not give it back until he got his bike back.
He said Yousef called him a 'pussy'.
Molnar said Yousef was 'hot-tempered' and taller, and that Yousef took his knife out. He said Yousef came towards him and he pulled out a knife Yousef had given him earlier.
He said he was acting in self defence.
Joshua Molnar went on that he saw Yousef coughing up blood and that he dialled 999.
He said he and Adam Chowdhary agreed to make up a story. He said he hid his knife in a bush and that he didn't know what happened to Yousef's knife.
Adam Chowdhary, in his account, said Yousef had stayed at his address the previous evening and they went out 'chilling' the next day.
He admitted he called 'Cali' for drugs. He said when the car pulled up he lied to them and said he wasn't Adam Chowdhary.
He cycled off and didn't know what happened after that. He said 'Cali' called him and called him 'pussy'. He said afterwards they went looking for Joshua's bike and that Joshua was angry.
Chowdhary told police he was on his phone and could not hear or see what was going on with Yousef and Joshua, as he was too far away. He disputed that he was close enough to see what happened. Chowdhary alleged Yousef told him Joshua had stabbed him.
He said he had a knife with him because of peer pressure and because he knew Joshua also had a knife.
Adam Chowdhary said he put Yousef's knife into a grid and removed his scarf to help treat the wound.
Accused of misleading the investigation, he told the interviewing police officers he was a child and his best friend had died in front of him and had never been through anything like that before.
Asked about disposing of the knife into the grid, he said Yousef handed the knife to him and he thought this was so he could dispose of it.
Later, Nicolas Corsellis QC, for Chowdhary, disputed Mr Bottomley's assertion that, in his interview with the police, his client has said Yousef told him Joshua had stabbed him.
The inquest resumes on Friday.
