Dea-John Reid murder trial: Five accused acted like "pack chasing down prey"

A court's been hearing how five people on trial accused of murdering a 14 year old schoolboy in Birmingham last year, acted like "a pack chasing down their prey".

In the prosecution's opening statement at Birmingham Crown Court Richard Wormald QC said: "The evidence you are about to hear shows they're acting together as a group."

39 year old George Khan, from Newstead Road in Birmingham, Michael Shields, 36 years old and from Alvis Walk in Castle Bromwich, two 15 year old's and a 16 year old, who can't be named for legal reasons, deny murdering 14 year old Dea-John Reid on College Road in the Kingstanding area of the city on the 31st May last year. He died after suffering a single stab wound to the chest.

Over the next week, the prosecution will argue that '"revenge" is at the centre of the attack for events that happened earlier on in the day.

It's alleged that the three teenage defendants were in a group which was involved in an altercation with another group of young people, one Dea-John was part of. The altercation, the court's told, was over the attempted robbery of a bag

In his statement, Mr Wormald said Dea-John had been part of a group who had looked to take a bag from the 16 year old defendant, before he ran off to seek refuge in a nearby newsagents.

"It is this altercation which was the catalyst for the revenge attack on Dea-John Reid".

Turning to George Khan's and Michael Shields' alleged involvement in the murder, he continued; "Mr Khan should have calmed matters. Instead he carried the plan to seek retribution forward, physically driving all five on the hunt for Dea-John's group." Mr Wormald said there was evidence showing George Khan driving around Twickenham Park.

The court was told that in that car, two of the defendants were armed with a tyre wrench and a 19cm long kitchen knife.

What happened next has been described as a "co-ordinated" and "shameful" attack. Mr Wormald said; "Dea-John was chased. It was a group attack during which they each played their part, running after Dea-John and blocking off his escape routes."

"The male defendants acted like a pack, chasing down their prey."

He said that over the coming weeks, some of the defendants would claim they acted in self-defence.

In his continued opening statement, it's alleged that all five defendants got out of the car with their faces covered after spotting the group and ran after Dea-John who, on one occasion we're told, tried to hide behind a car. The jury was then told that evidence suggests Dea-John was unarmed before he is fatally stabbed.

The sixth defendant, Hollie Davies, is also on trial but not for murder. The 36 year old of Waldon Walk in Castle Bromwich, is accused of assisting an offender by driving two of the defendants away from the West Midlands, withdrawing money for them, and buying replacement clothes.

Ending his opening statement, Richard Wormald QC concluded; "The five male defendants did not end up in George Khan’s car by chance: they shared a joint desire to exact revenge for the attempted robbery which had taken place earlier."

The trial continues.