Reagan Asbury murder trial: Teenage victim ‘was facing away from his killer’
A police officer told a murder trial that teenage boxing fan Reagan Asbury always had his back turned to his knife-wielding attacker.
The 19-year-old died hours after being stabbed in the neck outside Walsall Town Hall last October following an IBF title fight where violence erupted between two sets of supporters.
Tyrone Andrew, 21, stands accused of Reagan’s murder.
Prosecutor Mr Michael Burrows, QC, asked DC Spencer Jenkins: “Was there ever a moment when Reagan Asbury was facing Tyrone Andrew?” The police officer replied: “No.”
Mr Burrows continued: “Was there ever a time when Reagan Asbury had his arms raised towards Tyrone Andrew?” The reply: “No.”
The jury has spent three days watching footage of trouble that broke out inside the venue and then continued in Leicester Street.
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Film lasting just a couple of seconds was played and replayed to Birmingham Crown Court several times, picking out the movements of the main players frame by frame.
Mobile footage from members of the public has also played a large part in the prosecution case, providing different angles of the scene.
The cameras show Reagan Asbury facing towards co-defendant Declan Kemp-Francis, 23, as the pair confront each other – the former unaware of Andrew approaching him from behind.
The defendant, wearing a distinctive patterned T-shirt. is then seen raising his right arm towards the victim’s head area.
A second later Lavelle Patrice, 22, who also in the dock, is shown smashing a bottle on the ground close to Mr Asbury, who crouches in a defensive motion with a hand on his neck.
Andrew, Kemp-Francis and Patrice are seen running off towards Lichfield Street where they meet up with the fourth defendant Ryandeep Sidhu, 22.
The group watch as Andrew hands Sidhu an object which the prosecution claim was the murder weapon.
As the others walk off towards Hatherton Road, Sidhu is seen doing a u-turn and driving in the wrong direction up one-way Lichfield Street.
Sidhu has been absent from the dock for two days to attend hospital appointments.
Andrew, of St Helen’s Street, Derby, denies murder. Kemp-Francis of Dickens Square, Sunny Hill, Derby, and Patrice of Heavenwood Grove, Littleover, Derby, are both charged with violent disorder and Ryandeep Sidhu of Lidgate Close, Derby, is accused of assisting Andrew by taking possession of the alleged murder weapon.
Kemp-Francis is also charged of assisting the defendant by driving him away from the scene.
All four deny all the charges and the trial continues.
