Murder trial teen denies driving car

A TEENAGER accused of murder after he allegedly used a car as a ‘weapon’ has denied being the driver of the vehicle.

Dillon Saunders, 19, is on trial accused of the murder of 17-year-old Josiah Norman in Salford.

Mr Norman was stabbed and ‘deliberately’ hit by a car, jurors at Manchester Crown Court have heard.

Prosecutors allege that Mr Saunders was the driver of a Mini which knocked Mr Norman to the ground.

He denies being behind the wheel of the Mini. Mr Saunders said his brother may have been driving it at points during the day.

Kellan Gummery, 18, Mickel Liburd, 18, and Kaylan Crankshaw, 28, have admitted murdering Mr Norman, jurors have been told.

Mr Norman was walking down Peveril Road in Salford with a friend, when two cars made an ‘abrupt’ u-turn after spotting him.

Liburd and Gummery got out of the Fiat and attacked Mr Norman.

Prosecutors said Liburd was armed with a machete. As Mr Norman got to his feet, the Mini ‘deliberately’ drove at Mr Norman and knocked him to the ground. The Mini was used as a ‘weapon’ to put Mr Norman ‘at the mercy of the armed men,’ prosecutor Jaime Hamilton QC has said.

Crankshaw got out of the Mini and joined in with the attack, armed with a weapon. As the trial continued, jurors were told of a defence statement submitted by Mr Saunders, in which he outlined his case.

Mr Hamilton said that Mr Saunders denies being in the Mini when it was on Peveril Road, at about 8.15pm on April 21.

Speaking of the defence statement, Mr Hamilton said: “In summary, it says that many of the movements that the prosecution say is Dillon Saunders, he denies it is him.

“He says that he believed at the time of making this statement, that it may have been his brother.

“He accepts some of the movements to and from the vehicle is him.”

Prosecutors allege Mr Saunders was in the Mini and wore a ‘distinctive’ baseball cap, which he was seen wearing later.

“He goes on to state that he was not with the vehicle at the time that it was on Peveril Road, but that he had left his cap in the vehicle,” Mr Hamilton said.

“He says that shortly after what must have been the murder of Josiah Norman, he saw the occupants of the Mini again and had his cap returned to him.”

The prosecution claims Mr Saunders’ account is ‘simply not correct.’

Mr Saunders, of Stowell Street, Salford, denies murder and an alternative count of manslaughter.

Liburd, of Barff Road, Salford; Crankshaw, of Dauntsey Avenue, Salford, and Gummery, of Bridson Street, Salford, have admitted murder.

Many of the movements the prosecution say is Dillon Saunders, he denies it is him Jaime Hamilton