A teenager playing Fortnite was stabbed through the heart with a Rambo-style knife in an attack lasting less than two minutes, a court has heard. Tristan Kerr, 17, was fatally attacked at a house in the old mining village of Abertridwr, Caerphilly, on Thursday, February 5.
Tristan managed to run out of the house with his friend Conah Davies, but told him: "I’m hurting. My side." The court heard the motive for Tristan's murder was unknown, but it was "immediate and purposeful" in the quiet former mining village.
Defendants and weapons
Three men, Connor Palfrey, 25, Georgie Mears, 19, and Ricardo Elliot, 27, are jointly accused of murder alongside "getaway driver" Elexi Manny, 25. The court heard Mears was armed with a Rambo or hunting-style knife and that Palfrey had a wooden stick.
Prosecutor Michael Jones KC 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 that he died at the scene."
Footage shown to court
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.
The four defendants then fled to Hereford, the court heard. Mr Jones said: "As Mears tried to repeatedly stab Tristan, unarmed, Tristan tried to defend himself but to no avail. Mears intentionally and ultimately fatally stabbed Tristan in the left midsection of his chest, puncturing his left lung and heart."
Confrontation details
The defendants entered the house, with Mears and Palfrey armed. Palfrey entered the hallway with a wooden stick similar to the handle of a sweeping brush. Ieuan Crane believed he saw a nail in the stick. The court heard Palfrey said "Alright boys" as Mears rushed into the living room armed with and brandishing the knife, with a covering over his face. He was heard to say: "What you want, what, what, what?"
Conah Davies said Mears "acted like a gangster". Mears was also heard to say: "Get here Trist, what you saying?" The knife was described as having a 10-inch blade and was purple and silver in colour.
Mr Jones said: "Mears carried on trying to stab Tristan who held up his arms to fight him off and push him away. He jumped to the corner of the room and onto a settee and Mr Gulliford ran out of the living room, trying to get out of the house." Mr Davies called for an ambulance and saw blood running down Tristan’s legs onto his socks. He saw a puddle of blood and realised how serious Tristan’s injuries were.
PC Kristian Aviet was one of the first officers to arrive at the scene at 5.40pm. He and his colleague, PS Daniel Paul, saw a number of people in the street crowded around Tristan on the floor.
Prosecution case and tribute
Mr Jones said: "All four of them entered that house. All four of them remained in that house during that fatal attack on Tristan Kerr. That fatal incident had taken moments - in those moments from their arrival at that address to them leaving that address - together. All four of them then fled the scene – in that car driven by Elexi Manny. All four of them remained together until they got to Hereford when they were then, at various points, arrested. The prosecution case is that, although that fatal blow was intentionally delivered by Georgie Mears, all four of them bear the joint responsibility for, and are, therefore, guilty of his murder."
In a tribute released at the time of his death, Tristan's aunt, Rachel Spriggs, speaking on behalf of the family including his mum Claire Spriggs, said: "A deeply loved son, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend — a well-known and cherished character within his community. Tristan was handsome and quick-witted with a passion for motorbikes and adventure. He had a spark about him that drew people in and an energy that filled every room he entered. He was truly his mother’s son: strong, brave, and full of warmth with a heart that cared deeply for those he loved."
Palfrey, of Abertridwr, Caerphilly, Mears, 19, of no fixed abode, Elliot, of London, and Manny, 25, of Senghenydd, Caerphilly, all deny murder. The trial at Newport Crown Court, which is expected to last between four and six weeks, continues.
