In a dramatic courtroom outburst that has stunned London and fueled fresh outrage over the savage killing of aspiring filmmaker Finbar Sullivan, the 27-year-old man charged with his murder raised his hands defiantly and repeatedly declared his innocence — insisting police had arrested the wrong person in one of the most shocking attacks to hit a popular north London beauty spot.

“I didn’t kill anybody. I didn’t stab anybody. They’ve got the wrong person!”

Those explosive words, shouted by Oluwadamilola Ogunyankinnu as he stood in the dock at Stratford Magistrates’ Court, echoed through the hushed courtroom before he was remanded in custody. The outburst came just days after the brutal slaying of 21-year-old Finbar Sullivan, a gentle, talented film student who was allegedly punched, kicked, stamped on by up to seven men, and then stabbed to death while simply testing a new camera on the scenic slopes of Primrose Hill.

The confrontation unfolded on the evening of Tuesday, April 7, 2026, shortly after 6:30 p.m. Finbar — known to friends and collaborators as “Sully Shot It” — had left his family home in Maida Vale carrying the brand-new camera his loved ones had gifted him for his 21st birthday. Excited to test the equipment and capture footage of the stunning London skyline at golden hour, he headed to Primrose Hill with a friend. What should have been a peaceful, creative outing turned into a bloodbath in seconds.

According to prosecutors, Finbar was suddenly surrounded by a group of men in what erupted into an “explosion of extreme violence.” He was punched and pushed violently to the ground. While helpless on the grass, he was allegedly kicked and stamped on repeatedly — including towards his head — by as many as seven attackers. The frenzied assault culminated in multiple stab wounds. Finbar was left bleeding out in the open air on one of the capital’s most photographed and supposedly safe public viewpoints. A second young man in his 20s was also stabbed nearby and rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Emergency services raced to the scene, but Finbar could not be saved. He died where he fell — a kind, humble young man with a passion for filmmaking and music videos, extinguished in broad daylight in a place where families picnic and tourists snap sunset photos.

Ogunyankinnu, of Southbury Road in Enfield, was arrested on Friday, April 10, and formally charged with murder on Sunday, April 12. He appeared in court on Monday, April 13, where the dramatic denial unfolded. Raising his hands in the air for emphasis, the 27-year-old insisted he had nothing to do with the killing before being taken to the cells. He is yet to enter a formal plea but has been remanded in custody. He next appeared at the Old Bailey, with a provisional trial date set for April 2027.

Two other men — Alexis Bidace, 25, of Fore Street, Edmonton, and Ernest Boateng, 25, of Keswick Drive, Enfield — have also been charged with murder and remanded in custody. A fourth individual, 18-year-old Khalid Abdulqadir from Camden, faces charges including grievous bodily harm with intent, violent disorder, and possession of a knife.

The sheer savagery of the attack — a group beating followed by fatal stabbing on a popular hill — has left the city reeling. Finbar was no street fighter or troublemaker. He was a bright, creative soul studying at the London Screen Academy, already building a name for himself shooting music videos. Friends described him as humble, outgoing, and full of life. He didn’t drink, didn’t do drugs, and had recently overcome an eye impairment that had briefly slowed his ambitions. The new camera was supposed to mark a fresh chapter in his dreams — not become part of a murder investigation.

His father, musician Christopher Sullivan, has spoken movingly of his only son, calling him “exceptional” and expressing disbelief that such violence could erupt on Primrose Hill — a location as familiar and safe as Hyde Park. The family has urged the public not to exploit the tragedy for racial or political point-scoring, instead focusing on the need for justice and an end to the knife crime that continues to plague London’s streets.

Adding to the horror is the existence of potential eyewitness footage. Police have appealed for a young woman or teenager seen filming the incident on her phone, as well as another witness reportedly watching through binoculars. Finbar’s mother has made emotional public pleas for anyone with evidence to come forward, but key recordings remain missing, leaving critical gaps in the timeline of those final terrifying moments when Finbar allegedly begged for his life.

The case has ignited fierce debate online and in the media. Tributes to “Sully Shot It” have flooded social platforms, with fellow creatives sharing his work and remembering his passion. Many express shock that such brutality could happen in broad daylight on Primrose Hill. Others have used the tragedy to highlight the ongoing epidemic of knife crime and group violence in the capital.

Ogunyankinnu’s courtroom denial — delivered with visible emotion — has only intensified public fascination and division. Some see it as a desperate claim from a man facing the most serious charge possible. Others note that such protests are not uncommon in early hearings. Whatever the truth, the evidence presented so far paints a picture of overwhelming violence: a lone young man surrounded, beaten while on the ground, and then stabbed in what prosecutors described as an eruption of extreme force.

As the investigation continues and more suspects face court, the image that refuses to fade is that of Finbar Sullivan — camera around his neck, full of hope and creativity — walking onto Primrose Hill for what should have been an ordinary evening, only to meet a pack of alleged attackers who showed him no mercy.

For Finbar’s grieving family, every court appearance brings a fresh wave of pain mixed with the determination to see justice done. His father has vowed to honor his son’s memory for the rest of his life. His mother’s tearful appeals for witnesses continue to circulate widely, a mother’s love demanding truth amid unimaginable loss.

Primrose Hill, once a symbol of beauty and leisure overlooking the London skyline, now carries the stain of a crime that feels all the more shocking because of its location. The grassy slopes where families once relaxed have become a crime scene cordoned off in memory, a grim reminder of how quickly safety can shatter.

Ogunyankinnu’s defiant words — “You got the wrong man” — may echo in courtrooms for months to come. But for those who knew and loved Finbar Sullivan, the only thing that matters now is uncovering the full truth about the night a gentle 21-year-old dreamer was surrounded, beaten, and stabbed to death while simply trying to capture a little bit of light on a beautiful spring evening.

The camera he carried that fateful day may never record another frame. But the story of how he lived — and how he died — will not be silenced. London watches, the family waits, and the courts must now decide whether the man who proclaimed his innocence in such dramatic fashion will face the full weight of justice for the killing that shocked a city.

The slopes of Primrose Hill may one day return to peace. But for Finbar Sullivan’s loved ones, the nightmare of that April evening — and the desperate courtroom denials that followed — will linger far longer.