‘Death-teen told ‘you’re dead’ before knives chase’
ATEENAGER who died after being stabbed was told “you’re f ****** dead” before being chased with knives, a court has heard.
The body of Harry Baker, 17, was found at the Intermodal Terminal in Wimborne Road in Barry just before 6am on August 28 last year.
Ryan Palmer, Peter McCarthy, Raymond Thompson, Leon Clifford, Lewis Evans, Leon Symons and a 16-year-old boy all deny murder and are on trial at Newport Crown Court.
On day five of the case, prosecution witness Natasha Allt, who was previously in a relationship with McCarthy, gave evidence before a jury.
She said Palmer had arrived at her house and “barged past” her mother before searching for Harry.
She also told jurors that on August 28, Thompson, Leon Symons and the 16-year-old defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, “lunged” out of a bush outside her house.
And she said Symons had tapped a knife on her face before saying “tell the boys to stay off my patch”.
Shortly after that, the witness said Harry was walking down a road with a friend.
Ms Allt said: “I shouted ‘run, go, don’t turn around.’ They (defendants) had knives out and I just had a bad feeling, I knew they were going to do something. They were running across the grass patch towards him with their knives out. Harry and his friend had pulled their knives out too.
“Elles (Symons) shouted ‘you’re f ****** dead, you’re dead men, you think you can take over but you can’t.’”
Ms Allt said this scene continued for three minutes, but McCarthy, Palmer, McCarthy’s partner Sarah Baker and another woman arrived.
The witness said: “They came running round the corner and the girls were walking. They ran down the hill and were chasing after Harry and his friend J. I spoke to the girls and said ‘that’s a set up’.”
Ms Allt said Sarah Baker called McCarthy.
Mr Lewis said: “Could you hear who was on the other end?”
The witness said: “Peter McCarthy. He said ‘he’s dead, they stabbed him’. Then the phone went dead.”
She said she tried to call Harry’s phone which was answered by someone she believed to be Symons.
The witness said: “He said ‘Ha ha, your boy’s dead. You ain’t finding him’ and he hung up.”
Jonathan Rees QC, representing Symons, asked Ms Allt if Harry and J had been dealing drugs from her and her mother’s address.
She said they hadn’t.
Mr Rees asked Ms Allt is Harry was carrying two knives. She responded “no”. She told the court J had a survival knife.
Mark Cotter QC, representing McCarthy asked about the witness’ claims he told her over the phone that Harry was dead.
He said: “Do you think you were mistaken, could it have been someone else’s voice?”
Ms Allt replied: “He’s my ex-partner, I know him, I know his voice.”
Thomas Crowther QC, representing the 16-year-old defendant, asked if his client had his back towards Ms Allt when she thought he had a knife. She said: “No.”
The barrister reads from her statement and she admits the defendant had his back to her.
Mr Crowther added: “I’m going to suggest what you saw from behind was a shiny thing and assumed it was a knife.”
The witness said: “Yes.”
He added: “I’m going to suggest he had a shiny thin metal bar in his hand, not a knife. Could you say one way or another?”
She said: “No I couldn’t. I just assumed it was a knife.”
Clifford, 22, who does not have a fixed address, has admitted manslaughter – but has pleaded not guilty to murder.
Palmer, 33, from Aberaeron Close, Barry; McCarthy, 36, from Bassett Street, Barry; and Thompson, 47, from Hillary Rise, Barry, deny violent disorder.
Symons, 21, who does not have a fixed address, and the 16-year-old boy also deny violent disorder. Evans, 61, from Merganser Court, Barry, denies assisting an offender.
The trial continues.