Witnesses say victim shouted threats on call before stabbing

WITNESSES have told a Torquay murder trial they saw a man shouting and making threats into a phone in the town centre a few minutes before he was killed during a violent clash.

Aaron Parrington, 34, was stabbed to death in Ellacombe Church Road in September of last year.

Two teenagers, Jack and Ben Milton, are on trial in Exeter accused of his murder.

It is claimed an angry Mr Parrington went to their house but was met by savage violence from the brothers.

On the latest day of the trial, the jury heard from several members of the public who saw Mr Parrington shortly before he was killed.

They recalled him walking through the town centre issuing threats on a phone.

One shop worker said: “He was shouting very, very aggressively at the bottom of Fleet Street. I heard him say ‘Come and meet me, I’m going to kill you.’”

The prosecution say Mr Parrington blamed Ben Milton for the theft of a man bag.

Shortly before he was killed Mr Parrington phoned Ben Milton and threatened to beat him up.

One witness, Julie Hughes, said she had just come out of Primark in Union Street when she saw a man on a mobile “shouting very loudly and swearing.”

He said: “I’m coming up, f ***** g f ***** s. I’m on my way up.” He then turned right into Market Street in the direction of Ellacombe.

Another witness, Lisa Bignell, said she saw him in Fleet Street at about 3pm.

“It was a guy shouting very, very aggressively at the bottom of Fleet Street. He said ‘Come and meet me, I’m going to kill you.’”

She said he was holding the phone in front of him and appeared “psychotic”.

A third witness, Samantha Raymont, said she was walking near the Green Ginger when she saw a man shouting into his phone and making threats to kill.

“He seemed really angry,” she said. She said she could hear the voice of a male on the other end of the phone saying “there was no need for it and they could sort it out”.

“I was shocked,” she added. “He just repeatedly shouted.”

The jury has been told that after making the phone call Mr Parrington headed towards the Miltons’ address in Ellacombe Church Road.

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It was a guy shouting very, very aggressively at the bottom of Fleet Street. He said ‘Come and meet me, I’m going to kill you’

The prosecution case is that Ben Milton, anticipating a confrontation, armed himself with a large kitchen knife and told his brother Jack that Mr Parrington was on his way.

They attacked Mr Parrington after he arrived at the house with a teenage boy and started kicking their door.

He was stabbed several times and died at the scene.

The prosecution case is that two defendants acted together and murdered him and their actions went well beyond self defence.

Ben Milton, 19, and Jack Milton, 20, have both pleaded not guilty.

The trial continues.

witness Lisa Bignell