Jurors have been sworn in the trial for four men accused of murdering Alexander Innes last November.
The quartet are said by prosecutors to have stabbed the 25-year-old to death in the early hours of November 13 in Jericho.
At Oxford Crown Court on Monday morning, a panel of 12 jurors and two ‘reserves’ were selected from a group of around two dozen.
READ MORE: Live updates as jury sworn in Jericho murder trial
The 14-strong panel – made up of 10 men and four women – were told that the four defendants had pleaded not guilty to allegations of murder, manslaughter and possession of a bladed article – and it was for the jury to say, having heard the evidence, whether or not they were guilty of the charges.
The four accused are: Keyarno Johnson-Allen, 19, of Furlong Close; Michael Oluyitan, 19, of Waynflete Road; Bradley Morton, 18, of Cumberlege Close; and Greg Muinami, 19, of Cranham Street.
The men appeared in the dock of courtroom one on Monday morning, speaking only to confirm their names.
Muinami and Johnson-Allen wore black tops, with the latter wearing a red rosary around his neck; their two co-defendants, Oluyitan and Morton were dressed in white shirts.
Prosecutor Jonathan Higgs KC, assisted by junior counsel Ben Temple, is expected to open the Crown’s case to the jury on Tuesday morning.
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Sending the jury panel away until 10.30am on Tuesday, the honorary Recorder of Oxford Judge Ian Pringle KC urged the 14 individuals not to conduct any research into the case, to ignore news reports about the trial and to avoid speaking about the case with others.
If they needed a reason to explain to family and friends why they could not talk about the case they were welcome to blame him, the judge said.
Judge Pringle said: "As night follows day, [your loved ones] will ask the follow-up question. They will ask you what it's about. I give you now all this firm direction: that you must not speak about this case with anyone outside your number.”
READ MORE: Pictures from scene of Jericho 'murder'
Turning to the ban on researching aspects of the case, the judge said: "Why do I tell you that? Because it's a criminal offence for you to do so.”
He added: "You can of course use your mobile phones, your laptops, anything else, but not [for] specific research on this case.”
Johnson-Allen, Oluyitan, Morton and Muinami deny murder, manslaughter and possession of a bladed article.
The trial continues. The case is expected to last up to eight weeks.
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