'Best friend' of tragic Yousef says he didn't lie about stabbing

WITNESS GRILLED BY CORONER AT NEW INQUEST INTO TRAGEDY

- JOHN SCHEERHOUT

THE 'BEST friend' of Yousef Makki faced stern questioning at a new inquest into the fatal stabbing in 2019 and was forced to deny he had repeatedly lied to police 'to protect yourself! 

The court heard Adam Chowdhary, a graduate now aged 21, repeatedly suggested to a 999 call handler and officers who arrived at the scene that those responsible for the stabbing had fled in 'a whip, or a car, even though Yousef had been fatally wounded by their pal Joshua Molnar. All three were 17.

Yousef, a bright pupil at Manchester Grammar School from a humble background in Burnage, was said to have been out smoking cannabis with his friends Chowdhary and Molnar, both from wealthy backgrounds in Hale.

Molnar says he acted in self-defense when he stabbed Yousef through the heart on Gorse Bank Road in Hale in March 2019.

Yesterday Chowdhary gave evidence at a new inquest into the tragedy at Stockport Coroners' Court where he was grilled by Coroner Geraint Williams about what he told police in 999 calls, at the scene of the stabbing.

The coroner suggested to the witness that he didn't tell them the truth' when he mentioned a silver car to a 999 call handler.

"That's not true. I called the police and ambulance at the same time," said Chowdhary, who made two 999 calls, one on his iPhone and another at the same time on Yousef's phone.