The m8rder trial of an 18-year-old student has heard that Khaleed Oladipo, a Nigerian student at De Montfort University (DMU) in the United Kingdom, was fatally st@bbed during an alleged dispute over money linked to a fake Rolex watch.

The defendant, Harper Dennis, is standing trial at Leicester Crown Court over the fatal att@ck, which occurred on February 3, 2026.

According to prosecutor Jane Osborne KC, Oladipo and Dennis had previously been friends after meeting through online gaming. However, their relationship reportedly deteriorated over money Dennis believed Oladipo owed him following an unsuccessful attempt to sell a fake Rolex watch allegedly given to him by the victim.

On the day of the incident, Oladipo had left his girlfriend’s apartment carrying a bag of leftover snacks and was speaking to her on the phone as he walked back to his accommodation to watch football.

The court heard that outside the DMU Innovation Centre on Oxford Street, Leicester, he encountered Dennis, who had allegedly been seen on CCTV pacing the area beforehand.

“It took less than 30 seconds for the two men to come together, to struggle and for the defendant to leave,” Osborne told the court.

Jurors heard that Oladipo’s girlfriend allegedly heard him say:

“Why did you come up and st@b me?”

before asking her to call an ambulance.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Oladipo sustained six wounds, including five to the chest—one of which penetrated his heart—and another wound to his thumb.

The att@ck was reportedly captured on a passing vehicle’s dashcam. A witness described seeing “a snowstorm of feathers” from one of the men’s puffer jackets during the struggle.

Passers-by attempted to save Oladipo by performing chest compressions before emergency services arrived. He was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary but was pronounced d3ad just over an hour after the att@ck.

Police recovered a black folding knife at the scene.

Dennis was arrested later that evening at his student accommodation in Leicester. Officers also seized his mobile phone, although the court heard he refused to provide the PIN code.

A search of his room allegedly uncovered four knives, including a tactical knife with a serrated blade. Prosecutors also told the court that Dennis had given a flatmate a black bin bag to dispose of, which police later found allegedly contained the clothing seen on CCTV during the incident.

Although Dennis initially gave a “no comment” interview, he later submitted a statement admitting he was present during the confrontation but claiming he acted in self-defence.

The trial is ongoing.