Two young men accused of murdering Dagenham 20-year-old Hosam Eisa at a Romford shopping centre have been found not guilty at the Old Bailey today.

Che Pullen, 20, of Loom Grove, Romford, and a Romford 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons had been on trial over the stabbing to death of Mr Eisa at The Brewery on May 18.

CCTV from the shopping centre shows Mr Eisa and Mr Pullen had been involved in a number of confrontations before he was stabbed to death in the car park.

It was also quickly established by police that Mr Eisa had been carrying a yellow craft knife when he was killed, and footage from the Namco Funscape bowling alley shows him attempting to pull something from his trousers while confronting Mr Pullen and his group of friends.

Mr Eisa had pursued them to the bowling alley’s arcade after taking exception to a look that passed between himself and one of the group as they walked past him and his girlfriend on The Brewery’s first floor.

At one point, the group of teenagers, led by Mr Pullen, retreated behind the bowling alley’s reception desk while Mr Eisa was made to leave the premises.

He repeatedly told Mr Pullen and the 17-year-old defendant, “come outside” as he left.

Attempting to leave The Brewery discretely, Mr Pullen and his friends then tried to head through the shopping centre’s car park, unaware that Mr Eisa had not left the building and had simply gone to smoke on the balcony.

He then confronted the group once more, in a tense conversation that saw Mr Eisa and Mr Pullen share a cigarette lighter while discussing what had happened.

Mr Eisa repeatedly asked Mr Pullen to get one of his teenage friends to apologise, for what exactly is unclear, and eventually a fight broke out that saw Mr Pullen slash at Mr Eisa’s face with a knife.

As the group attempted to run from the scene, Mr Eisa gave chase.

It was then that Mr Pullen turned, with his knife still in his hand, and struck Mr Eisa in the chest.

The wound pierced his heart, and he died at Queen’s Hospital less than an hour later.

Mr Pullen, who repeatedly broke down in the dock while delivering his testimony to court last week, claimed he had been genuinely afraid for his life and acting in self-defence.