A teenager accused of murdering a Wiltshire schoolboy brought a “knife to a fistfight”, a jury has been told.
The prosecution’s case against a 16-year-old boy charged with murdering Shayne Hambakachere concluded at Bristol Crown Court on Monday, August 17.
Shayne, 16, died from a single stab wound after he was found seriously injured on London Road in Chippenham at around 4pm on January 31.
Prosecutor Sarah Jones KC told the jury that the defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was not acting in self-defence, as he has claimed during the trial, but was instead in “utter command” of the incident.
She said: “He walks down that alley knowing he is safe… because he is bringing a knife to a fistfight. He is in utter command of the situation.
“You get to see from his perspective… he is leading a charge against an unarmed man.
“It is perfectly clear Shayne has no weapon. He is not acting in self-defence he is not frightened at all.”
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The court had heard that the defendant filmed himself fatally stabbing Shayne and Ms Jones told jurors that he gave him “no chance” by initially concealing the knife.
She added: “He gave Shayne absolutely no chance to understand the fight that he was entering into… he meant for that knife to be a surprise, no chance to go away and come back another time.
“These are not slashes that could have just marked Shayne. He pointed the knife and drove it into Shayne’s chest.
“It is difficult to believe how serious a crime can be committed with so little fanfare or justification until you watch that short but awfully vivid 13 seconds. That’s all it took.”
Jurors had previously been told that there was tension between the boys after the defendant robbed Shayne of cannabis and money.
The defendant said he was “petrified” of Shayne because he turned up outside his home on the day of the stabbing and sent messages offering to fight him.
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Ms Jones told the jury that threatening messages the defendant sent to Shayne before the incident and videos he took of himself with a knife contradicted these claims.
She said: “How frightened does he look in the videos he then makes of himself with his knife?
“He’s not frightened at all in those videos is he? He loves that knife… you can see him smiling.
“He’s excited by his plan, not fearful of Shayne’s arrival.”
The defendant denies murder and his trial continues.
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