MURDER ACCUSED ‘SEEN WITH BLADE’
Brother: ‘He came to my home with knife’
THE brother of a man fatally stabbed in a street had seen the accused armed with a knife about 18 months earlier, a court has heard.
Ryan Dale, aged 25, was giving evidence on the third day of a trial into the alleged murder of Matthew Dale in Lightwood Road, Longton, in the early hours of October 5.
Stafford Crown Court has heard how 23-year-old Matthew – known as Matty – was delivering a £20 cannabis deal to the defendant, who was then aged 16.
But, it is claimed, after the deal was handed over, the youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, refused to pay. He and Matty had a fight and it is alleged the teenager pulled out a knife and stabbed Matthew in the back. The victim died on the way to the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
The teenager denies murder, manslaughter, and possessing an offensive weapon.
Ryan Dale told the jury that on the fatal night he messaged the defendant to let him know his brother was on his way with the cannabis. He added that he had seen the teenager with a knife before.
He said: “The defendant came to my home with a knife, previous to the stabbing, about two years ago.”
Under cross-examination from the teenager’s barrister, Ahmed Hossain QC, Mr Dale said there was no problem between him and the defendant. He said no one owed him money for cannabis on October 4.
He denied Matthew had told him he had had a fight with the defendant, and he was not aware his brother had threatened the teen.
He added: “I told them to get the money or bring the stuff back. Matty always went to the defendant for me.
“Matty was not a fighter. He did not fight. He got into little arguments and used his mouth. But he never fought with his fists.”
Mr Dale described Matthew as ‘mentally disabled’. He said his brother was ‘younger mentally than he was physically’.
He added: “He had been taken to a few places when growing up, but they never had any answers or did not know what was up with him.”
The case continues.