There were cries from members of a teenager's family in court after his last words were read out and a video was played which showed him collapsing before his death. It is alleged he was killed by another teenager armed with a Rambo-style knife in an attack that lasted just two minutes.
Tristan Kerr, 17, had been playing Fortnite with friends when he was fatally attacked at a house in the old mining village of Abertridwr, Caerphilly, on Thursday, February 5.
Four defendants plead not guilty
Ricardo Elliot, 26, whose address was given as HMP Parc, Elexi Manny, 24, of no fixed abode, Georgie Mears, 19, of Cavendish Close, Thornhill, Cardiff, and Conner Palfrey, 24, of Aberfawr Terrace, Abertridwr, all pleaded not guilty to murder.
A trial at Newport Crown Court heard the defendants were driven to the victim's friend's home by Manny and that "within moments" all four were walking inside the house before Tristan was fatally stabbed to his chest in the living room by Mears.
Fatal attack lasted less than two minutes
The court heard Mears was armed with a Rambo or hunting-style knife and that Palfrey had a wooden stick. Prosecutor Michaelk Jones said: "The fatal incident took less than two minutes, just moments from them arriving and walking into the house together to them leaving and driving away together. As to Tristan, such was the catastrophic nature of the injuries inflicted on him he died at the scene."
Ring doorbell footage showed Tristan leaving the house at Lower Francis Street while trying to steady himself on a bin before he eventually collapsed beside a parked car. In the footage eyewitnesses could be heard crying out: "Trist, Trist!" As details of the footage were shown to the court sobbing could be heard from the public gallery while a woman left the courtroom in tears on Tuesday afternoon.
Victim's final words to his friend
Tristan's friend Conah Davies called 999 and attempted to comfort his friend. Tristan said to Mr Davies: "Custard, I'm hurting. My side." He added: "I love you bro, You're a goodun you are."
Tristan collapsed two more times, bumping his head and his legs went underneath him. Mr Davies ran back to the house to get a phone and upon returning he held Tristan in his lap, rubbing his hair and trying to reassure him. Tristan's eyes were rolling into his head and he stopped communicating. He later died as a result of his injuries, with a cause of death given as a stab wound to the trunk including the left lung and the heart.
Defendants fled to Hereford
The four defendants then fled to Hereford, the court heard. Upon arriving in Hereford, Mears was seen being sick out of the back of a VW Polo which was being driven by Manny. Mears was wearing different clothes, with the prosecution stating that his clothes and the knife were disposed of during the journey. Neither have been recovered by police. Mears, Palfrey and Elliot were seen walking away from the Keys Court flats in Hereford while Manny and Fearn Holden, who they met up with in Hereford, drove away.
Sometime later, the three male defendants returned to the flat. They spent some time waiting outside. Just after midnight Palfrey could be heard on doorbell footage pointing out that a window had been left open and telling Elliot to climb in, which Elliot did. Manny's car had been stopped by police at 10.28pm and she was arrested. Armed police then attended Keys Court just before 6am and Mears, Palfrey and Elliot were arrested. The trial continues.
