Old Bailey told how father killed drug dealer with axe 'to stop baby-trafficking racket'

Pictured: James Pounal, who was found bludgeoned to death

A DISTRAUGHT father turned killer to halt a sickening baby trafficking racket, a court was told this week.
He learned that his “best friend” was planning to snatch his own child and hand the kidnapped infant over to a wealthy Canadian couple.
When Iraklis “Hercules” Malamas, 33, failed in trying to convince James Pounal, 51, not to go ahead, he attacked him with an axe, the Old Bailey was told.
Malamas, of Camden Road, Camden Town, and Pounal, of Selden Walk, on the Andover Estate, Holloway, had been friends and drug dealing partners.
But when Pounal fell in with a gang engaged in baby kidnapping he targeted a ready victim, the 18 months old cherished daughter of Malamas.
Little Lashmie was living with her mum Kiki in Streatham following a break up by her parents.
She would be grabbed from her mother and taken abroad soon after for a sale of thousands of pounds.
Malamas and a friend went to Pounal's first floor flat on New Year's Eve, 2007 to confront him. There was a “mocking” response to the plea not to go through with the abduction, said defence QC Bernard Richmond.
The anguished Dad “snapped” and grabbed an axe and buried it in Pounal's skull. He covered the dying man with a duvet and hit him three more times before taking £800 to fake a burglary motive, said Mr Richmond.
Malamas, 59, was cleared of the murder but convicted of manslaughter. He was jailed for nine years.
His former partner, Kiki, and the pal who accompanied him to the flat gave evidence for the prosecution.
The court hear that Pounal, brought up in Canada, was discovered three weeks after he was killed. Neighbours alerted the police to the stench.
Police recovered the axe from Malamas's garden.
Mr Richmond said Pounal “just laughed” when he was asked to leave the little girl alone.
“This was a desperate father looking for ways to protect his child and subjected to the grossest provocation any parent can face,” counsel added.
“He warned Pounal and gave him every opportunity to back down and when he refused he lost his self control,” said Mr Richmond.
Judge Richard Hawkins told Malamas “you were acting in protection of another, your daughter.”
When Pounal confirmed his intention to grab the baby and sell her Malamas warned, “If you insist I'll kill you” – and seconds later he did.

DAVID ST GEORGE