Jericho murder suspect was initially released by police, jury told

Bradley Morton, 18, was seen on police bodycam footage being stopped outside Worcester College in the early hours of November 13.

It came around 20 minutes after Alex Innes, 25, had been fatally stabbed in Walton Street.

Prosecutors say Morton was among three teenagers involved in his alleged murder, allegedly motivated by a dispute over a £100 debt owed by one of the defendants to Kidlington man Mr Innes.

All four accused deny murder, manslaughter and possession of a bladed article.

UPDATES FROM JERICHO TRIAL

• Live coverage from day one of trial, as jury are sworn
• What happened on first day of Jericho trial?
• Live coverage from day two of trial, as prosecution opens its case
• Day 3: Jurors visit scene of Mr Innes' death
• Day 3: Witnesses begin giving evidence on day three
• Day 4: Jury hears from Mr Innes' cousin
• Day 5: Eyewitness describes seeing 'zombie'
• Day 6: Footage played from suspects' arrests

Jurors at Oxford Crown Court were yesterday (Monday, May 22) played video footage captured on police officers’ body-worn video cameras showing the arrests of each of the four men.

Morton, who drove away from the scene of the stabbing in a red hatchback before later parking it in Worcester Street car park, was initially simply stopped by the police outside Worcester College.

The police officer told Morton, who was with two young women, that he was ‘happy’ that he did not match the description of their suspect and allowed him on his way.

But the teenager was arrested in Worcester Street car park later that night. Told he was being arrested on suspicion of murder, he replied: “Yes.”

Co-defendant Keyarno Johnson-Allen protested after he was detained on Walton Street together with at least one of the men seen on CCTV footage from the Love Jericho bar.

Echoing what he would tell detectives in a prepared statement during his interviews, he claimed to the police constables arresting him to have been ‘helping a guy’.

In his prepared statement, which jurors heard read out when the case against the four men was opened by prosecutor Jonathan Higgs KC last week, Johnson-Allen suggested that he had gone to the aid of Mr Innes after he collapsed to the ground.

Click here to sign up to the Crime and Court newsletter (Image: Newsquest)

On Monday, a police officer confirmed that it appeared from CCTV that Johnson-Allen was not in ‘arm’s reach’ of Mr Innes when it is presumed he was stabbed. However, he could be seen with co-defendants Morton and Michael Oluyitan as they appeared to chase Mr Innes down Walton Street.

Wearing a black ski mask, Oluyitan was arrested on Walton Street, south of Love Jericho.

Greg Muinami, who prosecutors say was responsible for delivering the fatal stab wound, was the last to be arrested.

He was detained on the evening of November 15. Arrested for murder and read his rights by the officer, he was asked whether he understood. “Yeah, I understand,” he replied.

Greg Muinami, 19, of Cranham Street, Michael Oluyitan, 19, of Waynflete Road, Bradley Morton, 18, of Cumberlege Close, and Keyarno Johnson-Allen, 19, of Furlong Close, deny murder, manslaughter and possession of a bladed article. The trial continues.