A Former Louis Vuitton Model Found Guilty of Murdering Fellow Male Model

It apparently began as a model rivalry.

British fashion model George Koh was found guilty of murdering fellow male model Harry Uzoka in a London courtroom Monday afternoon, the Associated Press reports. Koh, a former Louis Vuitton model, was arrested in January along with two others for stabbing Uzoka in the heart during a heated argument allegedly fueled by Koh’s jealousy over Uzoka’s successful career.

The initial confrontation between Koh and Uzoka, according to Yahoo Lifestyle, started on social media. The two British models were trading insults back and forth, with Uzoka at one point calling Koh “fake” and accusing him of “copying him.” In court, lawyers shared another message from Uzoka directed at Koh: “Leave my name out of your mouth, it’s that simple, I’ve never spoken bad of you in any way, so this is wild,” Uzoka wrote.

Yahoo Lifestyle reports that the social media altercation was escalated after Koh claimed he slept with Uzoka’s model girlfriend, Ruby Campbell. Prosecutors explained that the two models eventually agreed to meet in person to fight in West London’s Shepherd’s Bush neighborhood. Upon arriving, with a dumbbell bar in hand, prosecutors claim Uzoka was chased down by Koh and his two friends, Jonathan Okigbo and Merse Dikanda, and eventually stabbed three times and left to bleed out in front of his house. According to BBC, in court Monday, Koh and Dikanda were found guilty of murder for their part in the stabbing and for carrying a machete to the fight, and Okigbo, who was unarmed, was found guilty of manslaughter. They are due to be sentenced on September 21.

Thousands of fans shared their outrage and condolences following Uzoka’s death, including supermodel Jourdan Dunn and Koh’s former girlfriend, Victoria’s Secret model Leomie Anderson. Back in January when his death was announced Anderson took to Instagram to share a message about the incident, “He wasn’t just my ex-boyfriend, he was one of my oldest and dearest friends. He didn’t deserve this and I am heartbroken.”

At just 25, Uzoka was already a rising star in the industry, having already modeled for GQ, Mercedes, and Zara. Yahoo Lifestyle reports that he had recently been cast to star in his first film. Over the years, stabbing deaths have continued to rise in London, particularly among young adults. Uzoka was one of 50 victims murdered in the first four months of 2018, marking a serious increase in the city’s overall crime rate.

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