Man accused of murder outside bar in Walsall was carrying a hammer during an initial confrontation, a court heard

Lewis Green, who denies murder, encountered victim Shane Mayer outside Gabba's Bar in Darlaston on the night of July 24, 2019.

Green had followed two of his family members to the bar after one of them was threatened there, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Giving evidence, the 21-year-old said he was carrying a hammer down his shorts and followed after his family, who left in a car, on foot.

There was a brief confrontation between Green, his family, and a group which included victim Shane Mayer at around 11pm, a jury heard.

The defendant and his family had returned to their car and had travelled toward the home of Kamron Reid after Green called him, a judge heard.

Green said he met with Reid, a co-defendant who also denies murder of Mr Mayer, and had left the hammer in the back of the car, jurors were told.

Reid had been with co-accused Ramani Sanderson and Joseph Till, who deny murder, and the men walked back toward the other group, a judge heard.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how there was a confrontation between the two groups and Mr Mayer, aged 21, had been fatally stabbed in the groin.

Green, from Heathfield Lane West in Darlaston, told the jury he wasn't aware Sanderson – who has admitted possessing a knife but denies murder – had the weapon and said he didn't have time to react "because it was too quick". He later explained to jurors he was "shook up" by the incident after returning home.

When asked whether he had intended to do Mr Mayer any serious harm by carrying the hammer, Green replied "no, of course not" and said "no" when asked if he wanted his co-accused to cause Mr Mayer a really serious injury, a judge heard.

Sanderson, who denies murder, has pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a knife – on the evening of the attack on Mr Mayer, and three months earlier when a taxi driver was attacked near the Bradford Arms pub in Walsall for which he denies a charge of wounding.

The other defendants charged with Mr Mayer’s murder are Lewis Green, 21, of Heathfield Lane West, Darlaston; Joseph Till, 21, of Summer Street, Willenhall, and Kamron Reid, 20, of Herberts Park Road, Bloxwich. They deny murdering Mr Mayer, and possessing a bladed article. Green admits carrying a hammer.

The trial continues.