Teen ‘was stabbed to death’ over music row
Court told argument between friends ended in tragedy
A TEENAGER stabbed a friend to death in a “revenge” attack following a row about playing music in a park, a jury was told.
Joshua Taylor, 18, died from a knife injury after allegedly being confronted by the “volatile” 17-year-old armed with two knives.
The killing came an hour after they allegedly argued in Richmond Park, Hinckley, where they had been drinking vodka with friends.
Leicester Crown Court was told the evening was uneventful until Joshua allegedly refused to let the defendant borrow his Bluetooth speaker as they sat on a bench.
The defendant was said to have thrown the speaker onto the ground, resulting in the pair having a scuffle, which was broken up by two others.
Vanessa Marsall QC, prosecuting, alleged the defendant went home after the skirmish to get two knives to confront the defendant with in Sword Drive, shortly before 1am on October 7 last year.
The defendant, a juvenile, denies murdering Joshua and possessing two knives in a public place. He cannot be named due to a court order.
The jury was told Joshua had also been seen with knives that evening and was the initial aggressor, but the situation changed as the juvenile sought him out.
In her opening address to the jury, Miss Marshall said: “Although the issue in this case may well be whether or not (the defendant) acted in reasonable self-defence when he stabbed Joshua, the prosecution say, on the contrary, that this was not the behaviour of a man acting in self-defence but, instead, the actions of a very volatile young man, no doubt fuelled by alcohol, who having lost his temper with his friend, armed himself and went out seeking revenge and intending, at the very least, to cause Joshua Taylor really serious harm.” Miss Marshall said the defendant and Joshua were known to each other and had been messaging each other earlier on before meeting up with others to drink vodka.
Joshua walked his sister home and, after 11pm, went with the defendant, and two others to Richmond Park to drink more.
She said: “All was fine for 30 minutes until (the defendant) and Josh started a row, possibly because he wanted to play his music on the speaker and Josh wouldn’t let him.”
It was claimed the defendant became “angry” and dropped the speaker to the ground.
Miss Marshall said: “Understandably, you might think, it infuriated Josh.”
As his friend walked off, Joshua was shouting and a scuffle broke out.
No weapons were evident and Joshua was pulled away, but he then said “I’m going to have him” and pursued the defendant to the nearby
Morrisons supermarket car park.
Their friends were said to have followed them down a footpath.
One of them could hear Josh shouting and also the sound of supermarket trolleys banging into each other.
The defendant then left but Joshua was joined by the other two friends and all three went in the same direction as the defendant.
Miss Marshall said that one of the friends later told the police that Joshua then produced from his left pocket a small chef’s knife.
The friend allegedly told Josh: “What are you doing? Put the knife away,” to which Joshua allegedly said: “Come on boys, let’s go and get him.”
Miss Marshall claimed the defendant then went home. She told the jury: “Within one minute and 41 seconds (the defendant) was back out, this time tooled up with not one but two knives – one we say was being put into his left sock and the other, a much longer knife, can be seen in his right hand.”
The defendant allegedly walked up the street shouting and using Joshua’s nickname, saying: “Come on Bonehead.”
Miss Marshall said: “We say (the defendant) is clearly behaving as the aggressor now and more than likely armed with two knives - important when considering whether or not he was acting in reasonable selfdefence.”
The prosecutor added in a police interview the defendant “portrayed himself as a scared young man, who was frightened for his life having been chased”.
■ The trial continues