Leon Hazle murder: Man stabbed to death for 'looking at bus passenger'

Kieran Gillespie confronted Leon Hazle, aged 36, from Smethwick, on the number 11 and then knifed him to death multiple times, with what he told police were scissors used to cut his hair, a jury was told.

Moments before, the two had a row as the bus moved along Rookery Road, Handsworth, at around 10.30pm on January 23.

Gillespie, aged 25, from Wellesbourne Road, Handsworth, had initially sat near Mr Hazle, who he had never met, but moved to the back of the bus.

The defendant claimed he did not want to be near him as he rolled cannabis but he also ‘saw an opportunity’ to chat up a girl on the back row, the jury at Birmingham Crown Court heard today.

Less than a minute later he said to Mr Hazle "What it is you’re looking at?” to which the victim told him “shut up”, said prosecutor Stephen Linehan QC opening the case, who added: “The fact is Kieran Gillespie became angry by the fact Leon Hazle had looked at him.”

The prosecutor continued saying the two got in a short heated row before Mr Hazle punched Gillespie in the face which led the defendant to launch a vicious and deadly attack with a bladed weapon.

Although it has never been recovered the prosecutors believe it was a knife of some sort and not scissors.

The incident was captured on CCTV which is due to be played to the jury.

Friends and family of Mr Hazle gasped as the court heard Gillespie fled from the bus but claimed he returned to see if his victim was ‘alright’.

Mr Linehan argued he in fact came back to collect his baseball cap which had fallen off at some point.

Mr Hazle, who has previously been described as a ‘wonderful’ and ‘generous’ family man, died before emergency services arrived at the scene.

Mr Linehan added: “When he caught the bus it appeared it was his intention to change buses in the town centre and catch another bus to where he lived in Smethwick with his aunt.

“But he never made it.”

Gillespie denies murder.

The trial continues.