Neighbour 'carried head on bus'

A man accused of killing his neighbour carried the dead man's head on a bus before dumping it in a canal, the Old Bailey has heard.

The court heard Mohammed Boudjenane, 46, from Kilburn, north London, hit Lakhdar Ouyahia, 43, on the head with an object believed to be a claw hammer.

Earlier he allegedly raped a woman at his flat and beat her after abducting her as she made her way to church.

Mr Boudjenane denies murder, false imprisonment and two counts of rape.

The incidents took place in February this year.

""It had been the defendant's plan to kill her but she talked her way out of it"

William Boyce, QC, prosecuting

William Boyce QC, prosecuting, said Mr Boudjenane told police he had been planning to kill the woman but released her when she agreed to marry him.

"She was very fortunate to escape with her life," said Mr Boyce.

Within hours he had turned his attentions to fellow Algerian Mr Ouyahia, a meter reader, who lived in the flat above in Kingsgate Road, Kilburn, the court was told.

Mr Ouyahia's head was said to have been carried in a bag on a bus to the Regent's Canal at Maida Vale where it was later discovered by police divers.

His body was found wrapped in bedding by a man searching for things to recycle at the back of the Somerfield supermarket in Kilburn.

It was evident an attempt had been made to saw off the limbs, the jury heard.

'Best enemy'

Mr Boyce said the 42-year-old woman, who had met Mr Boudjenane four months before at a party, was on her way to a church service.

The court heard how Mr Boudjenane had earlier grabbed the woman's mobile phone from her in the street which he used to lure her into his flat.

He threatened the woman with knives and accused her of sleeping with Mr Ouyahia, who the prosecution described as his "best enemy".

After shaving her head with an electric razor, he told her she would not need her hair in heaven, the court heard.

Mr Boyce added: "During the period in which she was held captive, the defendant subjected her to a terrifying ordeal."

"It had been the defendant's plan to kill her but she talked her way out of it," said Mr Boyce.

"He was giving her the impression that he was going to kill her."

The court heard he had said to police: "I wanted to kill her but I killed him."

The trial continues.

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