Murder accused tells jury he did not see teen stabbing victim with any weapon

Derlano Samuels, of Smethwick, sustained a total of 13 injuries including cuts, slashes and an incision into his ribcage during an incident in which he was chased and repeatedly stabbed on May 1 last year.

Giving evidence in the witness box, Cam'Ron Dunn admitted that it was him who inflicted the injuries and that he felt "threatened" following an altercation with people in a parked white Ford Focus in High Street, Cape Hill.

He told the jury that the occupants were friends of Derlano's whom he "knew of", but had never met. He also said that Derlano, who was 17, was associated with members of an urban street gang known as B66, a reference to the area's postcode.

Under cross-examination at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday, the defendant repeatedly told the jury that the group and Derlano "posed a threat" to his safety.

Miss Michelle Heeley QC, prosecuting, put to Dunn: "You agree you were responsible for all 13 stab injuries? Nine wounds and four defensive injuries?

"You agree that you caused Derlano's death and that you walked away from all this without a scratch?"

Dunn replied: "Yes."

Miss Heeley put to him that Derlano "didn't pose a threat" as his hands were at his side when he was first approached in the street, and later in the store his hands were up in "surrender" as the defendant confronted him while holding a machete.

But Dunn replied: "His hands could have done anything. He could have gone to his waist."

Miss Heeley said: "At any time did he have a weapon that you saw?"

The defendant replied: "No".

Previously giving evidence in chief, Dunn told the jury that he thought it was "100 per cent likely" that Derlano would be armed.

Mr Jason Bartfeld QC, defending, asked Dunn: "When you saw him how did you feel?"

Dunn replied: "I was scared."

Mr Bartfeld said: "Was he a threat to you?"

Dunn replied: "100 per cent. As he walked towards me he asked me where I was from. He sounded hostile.

"I replied that I was from Smethwick and that I lived there. His voice changed and his body language changed. I thought he was going to try to stab me and that's when I reacted," Dunn said.

Mr Bartfeld told the jury that a machete with holes in the blade was later recovered by police from the Ford, which had been reported stolen in Stourbridge.

The trial has heard that the car was driven away as Derlano arrived in High Street on foot and he was not party to the earlier incident.

Dunn is accused of initially twice stabbing Derlano before chasing him into the Nowa Polka shop in nearby Waterloo Road where he was then allegedly captured on film stabbing the teen with a machete shortly after 4.10pm.

He died from a stab wound to the chest. Dunn, of Sketchley Close, Smethwick, denies murder. The trial continues.