Murder accused says witnesses who claim he had knife are lying

DENIES BEING VIOLENT TO ANYONE

A man on trial for murder has told a court that witnesses who claimed they saw him wielding a knife, and later heard him admit to stabbing the victim, were all lying.

Byron Griffin, below, of East Leake, near Loughborough, suffered fatal stabbing injuries in an attack in Ilkeston last summer.

The 22-year-old was found with two wounds to his chest in Eyre’s Garden in the Derbyshire town on Sunday, July 4. He was taken to Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre but died shortly afterwards.

Jordan Fairbrother, of Nelson Street, Swadlincote, is one of four men on trial at Derby Crown Court for murder.

Taking the witness standy, the 26-year-old defendant denied playing any part in the violence that led to Mr Griffin’s death.

Earlier in the trial, the prosecution told jurors that two witnesses claimed to have seen Fairbrother “waving a knife around”, before going up to Mr Griffin and stabbing him in the chest with it.

Fairbrother told the court that their evidence was lies.

When his barrister, Ahmed Hossain QC, asked him: “Did you stab Byron Griffin?” he replied “No.”

He gave the same answer when asked, “Did you use any violence towards anyone on July 4?”

The defendant went on to say that the reason his DNA was found on the alleged murder weapon was because he had previously used it to chop up cocaine.

Prosecutor John Lloyd-Jones QC, opening the case, had told jurors that on the day of the alleged killing, Mr Griffin and four of his friends had arrived in a blue Ford Focus outside flats in Great Northern Close.

He told the court Mr Griffin got out of the vehicle and a fight ensued involving him and one of Fairbrother’s co-defendants, Grant Masterson.

Fairbrother and the remaining two co-accused, all allegedly armed, emerged from a nearby block of flats and joined in with the assault, which the prosecutor described as being “an ambush”.

Witnesses claimed to have seen defendant Dylan Geary strike Mr Griffin with a machete before Fairbrother stabbed him.

Geary, 22, Masterson, 29, and 32-year-old Daniel Lewsley, all of Great Northern Close, Ilkeston, also deny murder.

Fairbrother told the court he had been staying at Geary’s flat at the time of the alleged killing.

He said he had woken up at about midday on the day of the incident and soon afterwards had heard a commotion outside the building.

“I thought ‘where’s Dylan?’ and I went downstairs and out the front door,” said Fairbrother.

“I saw a lad with blood dripping out of him, it was Grant (Masterson) from what I could recognise. There was another lad swearing and shouting in the far corner. I was only there for seconds, maybe between three and six seconds.”

Mr Hossain said: “We have heard a witness say you had a knife and you stabbed Byron Griffin. Did you?” Fairbrother replied: “No.” “Did you have any weapon on you?” his barrister added, to which the defendant said: “No.”

Mr Hossain continued: “We have heard Daniel Lewsley say you were in a (previous witness’s) flat saying you had stabbed someone. Is there any truth in that?” He replied: “No, why would I say something like that?”

Mr Hossain said: “There was DNA on the knife (which was recovered) which matches you. Did you have any specific reason to touch the knife?”

Fairbrother replied: “To chop up drugs in the kitchen, I am not proud of it.”

Mr Hossain said: “What kind of drugs?” He said: “Cocaine.”

Geary and Masterson have chosen not to give evidence in their defence.

When Lewsley took the stand, earlier in proceedings, he said Fairbrother had armed himself with what he now knows was a knife from his kitchen.

Clive Stockwell QC, cross-examining Fairbrother on behalf of his client Lewsley, said: “(A number of witnesses) said they saw you with a knife. Are (they) lying?” He replied: “Yes.”

Mr Stockwell said: “You know you stabbed Byron Griffin.” Fairbrother replied: “No, I didn’t.” The trial has heard that police were called to reports of a man lying injured and bleeding in Eyre’s Garden at about 12.40pm on July 4, last year. Emergency services attended the scene and he was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after 2pm.

The trial continues.