Slough killer guilty of murder after 'horrific' stabbing in Rochfords Gardens

A killer who stabbed his victim dozens of times after a drug deal gone wrong in Slough has been found guilty of murder by unanimous jury verdict.

Khalil Muhammad, 27, of no fixed address, also drove over his victim as he fled the scene of his crime in Rochford Gardens on September 11, 2024.

Senior investigating officer detective inspector Nick Hind, of the force’s Major Crime Unit, said Muhammad had committed a ‘horrifically violent attack’.

At a trial in Reading Crown Court, jurors were told Muhammad did not dispute he had killed his victim, 23-year-old Frederick Mutala, but he disputed he was a murderer.

CCTV images showed Muhammad stab Mr Mutala 34 times in a brutal attack after the two had been involved in a cannabis deal worth around £26,000 in street value.

In court, Muhammad pleaded not guilty to murder and claimed he had ‘feared for his life’ during the attack.

His defence claimed he had been suffering from trauma, and Muhammad told the court that watching the footage of the killing back had been like ‘watching another person’.

Prosecutors said Muhammad had launched a ‘murderous attack’ which had left his victim with such severe wounds that many were deemed to have been individually ‘unsurvivable’.

Muhammad pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cannabis and driving a motor vehicle dangerously at Reading Crown Court on August 15.

He also pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence and using a motor vehicle on a road/public place without third-party insurance.

DI Hind said: “Firstly, my thoughts are with the family of Frederick Mutala, who sadly lost a son, a brother, partner and friend; and I would like to pay tribute to them.

“They have been supportive throughout this investigation, and been remarkably brave and dignified during the court process.

“This was a horrifically violent attack and, yet again, highlights the dangers of carrying a knife in public.”