Jurors have retired to consider their verdicts in the Jericho murder trial.
Four teenagers are accused of murdering 25-year-old Alex Innes outside the Love Jericho cocktail bar in Walton Street in the early hours of November 13 last year.
Prosecutors say the killing – caused by a single stab wound to the heart – followed a dispute between alleged victim Mr Innes and a 19-year-old defendant Greg ‘Gino’ Muinami over £100 allegedly owed to the older man for a pair of trainers.
Muinami, who lived in Cranham Street, Jericho, is said to have been ‘backed-up’ by his three co-defendants: Michael Oluyitan, Bradley Morton and Keyarno Johnson-Allen.
The four suspects, all of whom are 19 years old, deny murder, manslaughter and possession of bladed articles.
Judge Ian Pringle KC sent the jury of 12 men and women out to consider their verdicts at 12.23pm on Tuesday afternoon (June 20), telling them they were under no pressure of time to reach guilty or not guilty verdicts.
ALL OUR LIVE BLOGS FROM TRIAL
- Day 1: Live coverage from day one of trial, as jury are sworn
- Day 2: 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
- Day 7: More CCTV footage showing suspects' movements
- Day 8: Victim's friend denies 'stirring dispute' between alleged stabber and Mr Innes
- Day 10: Pathologist details findings of post-mortem
- Day 11: More eyewitness statements read to jury
- Day 13: Prosecution closes its case
- Day 14: Questioning of murder suspects begins
- Day 15: Evidence concludes as only one defendant goes into witness box
- Day 17: Closing speeches from defendants' barristers begin
Before sending them out, the judge handed out a list of questions to work through as a final ‘checklist’ to help reach their decisions.
First, the jury was told to ask themselves whether they were sure that on November 13, 2022, Greg Muinami stabbed Mr Innes in the chest, causing the fatal wound.
If they were not sure that he did, Muinami and his three co-defendants should all be acquitted of murder and manslaughter.
“Are we sure that when Muinami stabbed Mr Innes, he intended either to kill him or to do him really serious harm?” the next question asked.
If the answer was yes, the Muinami would be guilty of murder.
But if the jury’s answer was no, they should ask whether they were sure that Muinami intended to cause ‘some harm albeit not really serious harm’.
If they concluded that he did intend to cause ‘some harm’, he would be guilty of manslaughter but not murder.
Only then, should the jury consider the actions of Oluyitan, Morton and Johnson-Allen and whether they were ‘intentionally assisting or intentionally encouraging the stabber’.
The trio would be guilty of murder if, individually, they intended that Mr Innes would be killed or caused really serious injury.
If the jury thought that they intended Mr Innes ‘some harm’ as a result of ‘intentionally encouraging’ the stabber, the individuals would be guilty of manslaughter.
Judge Pringle told the jurors to consider the allegations that the four men had knives separately for each individual.
Greg Muinami, 19, of Cranham Street, Michael Oluyitan, 19, of Waynflete Road, Bradley Morton, 19, of Cumberlege Close, and Keyarno Johnson-Allen, 19, of Furlong Close, all deny murder, manslaughter and possession of a bladed article.
The trial continues.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article