The parents of a teenager stabbed to death have told a court of their efforts to save him from his drug dealing and debts.
Mustafa Momand racked up a shared £20,000 drug debt and was knifed in broad daylight in central Brighton on October 5 2023.
Before his death, his mother Suraya Momand said he told her he “regretted everything” and talked about going to college to study law to help exploited children.
A 16-year-old boy from Southwick is on trial at Brighton Crown Court for his murder.
During the trial, Mustafa’s parents revealed how they “begged” police to send their 17-year-old son to prison to get him away from drug dealing.
Jurors had heard when Mustafa turned 16, things “got worse” and his behaviour changed, his parents found weapons in his pockets and he went missing for days on occasion, coming back with valuable items or injuries.
Jurors heard how Mustafa had moved to the UK from Afghanistan with his family in 2009 when he was three years old, and in late 2021 his mother found cannabis in his room and suspected he was using or dealing drugs.
In a statement read aloud to court on Tuesday, Mustafa’s father, Noor Momand, said he first became worried when his son came home very late on his 16th birthday despite his family waiting with a birthday cake for him.
When he did come home he had with him a “very expensive” bottle of Chanel perfume, which he said a friend gave him.
“I was worried he was being exploited in some way,” Mr Momand said.
“We begged police to put him in juvenile prison.
“I was also thinking he was beginning to look like a drug user, he had dirty clothes and dirty nails.”
Mrs Momand said in a statement read aloud to court that he argued with her, his father and siblings and that he was going more against them and separate from the family.
On one occasion she said Mustafa went missing for three days because he was angry with her for speaking to the police about him.
She said: “I was just a very worried mother. I was scared for his safety, I felt like I was losing my son.”
She described how Mustafa told her he wanted to stop dealing in future, and said a man who gives him the drugs “favours” him.
Bur he added that he was in debt to the man because of losing drugs and money when he gets arrested by police.
“Mustafa took me aside one day and asked if we could stop fighting and he could have his mum back,” she said.
The court heard how Mustafa was housed by social services in Bevendean, in Brighton in early 2023, because his mother felt she could not look after him at home any more.
He was later moved out of the area to Croydon, south London, where he registered to attend college for a two-year A-Level Business and Law course for September 2023.
Mrs Momand said he told her he had started attending mosque, playing football and had made nice friends since his move.
Mr Momand added while Mustafa was in care: “He was showing he was sorry and being kind and nice to me and my family.
“He didn’t go out a lot, he said he wanted to get away from these people.”
The trial continues.