Joshua Price murder trial: I killed victim says accused

Anita Henson was told by her 20-year-old son Jake that he had been at the scene when 21-year-old Mr Price was knifed to death, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

The confession came on October 31 last year, more than a month after the fatal stabbing in Treynham Close, Stowlawn, the jury was told.

David Watkins, 25, who is on trial after denying murder, admitted manslaughter at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday.

However, the prosecution did not accept his plea of diminished responsibility on mental health grounds.

Mr Timothy Spencer QC, prosecuting, said: "This would reduce murder to manslaughter and he does have a genuine history of mental health problems.

The prosecution say the truth is that he was not suffering from any impairment of his mental functions when the crime was committed.

Father-of-one Mr Price was stabbed through the heart at around 9.20pm on September 27 last year.

The victim was ambushed in the street by Watkins and his 20-year-old cousin Jake Henson, the court heard.

Watkins from Clem Attlee Court, Parkview Road, Stowlawn delivered the fatal blow but Henson from Wellington Road, Bilston was also involved, the jury was told.

Mr Timothy Spencer QC, prosecuting, said: "He did not tell the whole truth and said he could not tell her who had done it.

"He said there had been an altercation a couple of days before between Joshua and the man who killed him. There might well be an underlying history but whether we will hear more about this we will have to wait and see.

"He told his mother Josh had been stabbed four times and was only one out. That underlines that he was close to the stabbing."

The prosecutor said the admission left Mrs Henson with an anguishing dilemma.

"Did she harbour this information or tell the police? To her credit she went to the police on November 2 and told them what her son had told her," he added.

He was quickly arrested and Watkins was detained the following day, the court heard. He had been quizzed by police investigating the murder a week after the stabbing.

The flat the father-of-one shared with his family in Clem Attlee Court, Parkview Road, was close to the scene of the killing and he was seen during house-to-house inquiries but claimed to have been at home watching TV when the stabbing happened and was backed up by his partner, the jury was informed.

Father-of-one Mr Price was stabbed five times after being ambushed by the cousins while answering a call from Watkins who wanted cannabis - a drug the 21-year-old victim had been selling for around two months before his death - said Mr Spencer QC.

The fatal blow to the chest cut through the heart and punctured the left lung of Mr Price. The other lung was punctured by a wound to the back and his pelvis was chipped by a further blow, it was said.

Mr Spencer explained: "The knife was at the ready and used as soon as Joshua came within range and he died soon afterwards.There were no defence injuries. He made no attempt to fend off the blows. That is because he was rapidly overwhelmed, taken by surprise and in no position to defend himself."

The pair escaped on bicycles but returned moments later to collect the victim's phone which, like the knife, has not been found, the court was told.

Watkins and Henson from Wellington Road, Bilston, both deny murder.

The case continues.