Mustafa Ali, 19, has been found guilty of murdering Leon Phillips, 47, following a fatal stabbing at a bus stop on Stapleton Road in Bristol.
A jury at Bristol Crown Court returned a majority guilty verdict on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Ali, from Fishponds, has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a later date, Avon and Somerset Police said.
What happened on Stapleton Road
The court heard that Ali met four other young men at Pepe’s on Stapleton Road on the evening of Monday 2 February. Leon Phillips, who was known in the neighbourhood, approached a group near the bus stop outside Maliks Supermarket while travelling by bicycle with another man.
The prosecution said Phillips was pushed and stabbed by Ali, causing him to fall from his bicycle. Police said the attack was captured by several CCTV cameras.
Phillips sustained stab wounds to his abdomen, upper right thigh and buttock. He was taken to hospital but died on the morning of Tuesday 3 February.
Officers arrived during the attack
Officers who happened to be travelling through Stapleton Road on their way to another incident stopped to help Phillips, while other officers pursued four men leaving the scene. Police arrested Ali and four others in connection with the incident.
Investigators later recovered a knife from an alleyway nearby. According to police, CCTV footage showed Ali discarding it as he fled.
Charges against four others discontinued
Five men were charged with murder in the days after Phillips died. On 13 April, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed it had discontinued proceedings against four of them, saying there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.
Those four men were not convicted in relation to Phillips’ death. The murder charge against Ali continued to trial, resulting in Tuesday’s verdict.
Police response and sentencing
Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Edgeworth, the senior investigating officer, said the killing showed the devastating impact that carrying knives can have on families and communities.
“What may start as a perceived means of protection can quickly lead to irreversible consequences.”
Ali remains in custody pending sentencing at Bristol Crown Court. As of 10 November, police had not announced a sentencing date.
Police video
Avon and Somerset Police released the following video alongside its report on the verdict.
Timeline
- 2 February 2026: Phillips was stabbed on Stapleton Road in Bristol.
- 3 February: Phillips died in hospital from his injuries.
- February: Five men were charged in connection with the murder investigation.
- 13 April: The CPS discontinued proceedings against four of the five defendants.
- 10 November: Ali was convicted of murder by a majority verdict at Bristol Crown Court.
