Ryan Passey murder trial: Man denies getting rid of suspect’s clothes
A man has denied disposing of a murder suspect’s mobile phone and clothes because he ‘felt guilty’ over the death of amateur footballer Ryan Passey at a nightclub.
Bradley Hackett had been with Kobe Murray at Chicago’s in Stourbridge on August 5 last year when Mr Passey was stabbed on the dancefloor during a fight, a court heard.
Afterwards, Murray – who is alleged to have carried out the stabbing – was given a lift to his home in The Broadway, Dudley, by someone else with Mr Hackett.
The defence claims Mr Hackett – who faces no charges – owned the knife and had got rid of Murray’s clothing and iPhone because he felt in some way responsible for what had happened.
But giving evidence at Birmingham Crown Court, Mr Hackett denied owning the knife – claiming he had brought it on Murray’s behalf because his friend had not got the necessary ID at the time.
More from the trial:
He told the jury that after getting dropped off at The Broadway with Murray, he then ordered a taxi to take him to his home in Sedgley.
It was suggested in court that the real reason he got out of the car at that point was to give Murray the opportunity to change out of the clothes he was wearing and give them to Mr Hackett to dispose of.
He said he did not take the knife into Chicago’s that night, adding: “I didn’t feel guilty because I didn’t do anything wrong.”
It follows a party-goer telling the jury how he saw the man accused of fatally stabbing Ryan in a nightclub with ‘a silver object’ in his hand that night.
Bradley Mazlin-Jones said he had recognised 19-year-old Murray as someone he used to play football with and took a 'selfie' with him on his phone.
Mr Mazlin-Jones said he saw Murray ‘holding something, a silver object, about five or six inches long’ but added: "At the time I had no idea what it was."
He told the jury he was about seven feet away from Murray when he saw him with the object, alleged to be the murder weapon.
"It was by his waist, he was looking down. I walked away and took no notice."
Murray, of The Broadway, Dudley, denies murdering 24-year-old Mr Passey, from Quarry Bank, at the Rye Market club in the early hours of August 6.
Murray is alleged to have plunged the blade into Mr Passey’s heart before fleeing the scene.
The trial continues.
