Brentwood double murder: court told suspect waited for teenagers in car park before stabbing them
Frankie Watson, 20, is accused of murdering 16-year-old boys Charlie Preston and Frankie Gater last October
Last updated 28th Jun 2022
A man being chased by armed teenagers waited for them in a car park before stabbing two of them to death and seriously hurting a third boy in an "explosion of violence", a court was told.
Frankie Watson, 20, is accused of murdering 16-year-old boys Charlie Preston and Frankie Gater in the early hours of October 24 last year.
Lisa Wilding QC, prosecuting, said Watson had a folding knife with him, Preston had a machete and Gater had a knuckleduster.
She said Watson "didn't know that anyone in (Preston and Gater's) group had a weapon on them" but he "did, however, know as he stood in that car park that he had a knife on him and would use it against those he stood and waited for".
Ms Wilding told Basildon Crown Court that Watson was with a group of friends when they "encountered" another group of youths on the High Street in Brentwood, Essex.
"The two groups exchanged words and looks," she said.
"Charlie Preston and Frankie Gater were in that other group along with friends of theirs.
"As a result of the confrontation on the High Street, Preston and Gater's group chased the defendant's group.
"The chasing group was armed, as was Frankie Watson.
Ms Wilding said the two groups of young men left the High Street and ended up in an open car park.
"Frankie Watson and his friends were ahead by some way and while his friends ran off, Watson dropped back in the car park and awaited his pursuers.
"And they continued to pursue him until he and they finally encountered each other on the far side of the car park from where they had entered," she said.
"There followed an explosion of violence... Frankie Watson used the knife he had on him to stab three of his pursuing group a total of 12 times."
She said Preston and Gater, both from Romford, died of their injuries, while the third youth - who cannot be named for legal reasons - "received serious injuries from a stab wound to his chest" but survived.
She said the 12 stab wounds were inflicted in 30 seconds, with Preston knifed in the head, neck and back and Gater in the cheek, chest, thigh and arm.
"Frankie Watson received some cuts to his face and finger," Ms Wilding said.
"The prosecution allege that in that short but overwhelming display of violence, Frankie Watson murdered the two men who died.
"Having caused those injuries, he ran off and disposed of his jacket, shoes and mobile telephone, none of which have ever been recovered."
Watson, of Baker Street, Orsett, Essex, denies two counts of murder, two counts of manslaughter, one of wounding with intent and one of having a bladed article.
Ms Wilding said the events which led to the deaths may have been triggered by "some perceived slight or insult" and there was no evidence of previous interactions between Watson and the deceased.
She said it appeared that Gater and Preston had been "engaging in criminality" earlier that night.
Ms Wilding said that shortly before 9pm, a 15-year-old boy was mugged for his jacket by one of the group containing Gater and Preston.
She said that shortly before midnight, Gater and Preston were involved in an attempted burglary in Mayfield Gardens in Brentwood.
"Three men forced open the victim's front door by kicking it in before being chased off by the occupants of the house," said Ms Wilding.
"As those three people who kicked the door ran off, they dropped a phone.
"When that phone was looked at by police, it was discovered that was Frankie Gater's phone.
"They also dropped an Oyster Card which had been stolen from the 15-year-old boy earlier in the evening.
"One of the group of three who ran off was described as having a machete.
"Having run off, the group of three returned.
"One of the group asked for his phone back and held a machete across his chest as he did so (and) said he wasn't going to use the knife, he just wanted the phone.
"The occupant refused to hand the phone over and the group left."
Ms Wilding told jurors: "The prosecution anticipate that the issue for you to determine in this case will be self defence.
"Was the defendant set upon such that he had to defend himself, or was he an aggressor in this fight?
"The prosecution say that he too was an aggressor.
"This was a straightforward fight, with both sides as willing participants and armed for it."
The trial, due to last at least three weeks, continues.