Five in court after teenager stabbed in neck at Midland nightclub
Five men - including one from the Black Country - who were arrested following the death of a teenager who was stabbed in the neck outside a night club have appeared in court via video links from three different jails.
The five men have all been charged with the murder of 18-year-old Daniel Kirkwood outside Society night club in Coventry in the early hours of March 15.
The teenager suffered a stab wound to his neck during an incident outside the club at around 2am and was rushed to hospital where he died a short time later.
The case of Hasham Ali, of Great Barr, Tobijah Thompson, Ramez Murtaza, Ezra Scott and Zaker Khan was listed at Warwick Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing.
All five appeared on a TV screen via a 'bridge' video link to the three prisons where they are in custody – and could also see each-other.
Thompson, 25, of no fixed address but previously of Blakesley Way, Bordesley Green, and Khan, 24, of Belchers Lane, Small Heath, were in a room at HMP Birmingham in Winson Green.
Murtaza, 20, of Bordesley Green East, Bordesley Green, and Ali, 18, of Amberley Green, Great Barr, sat together at HMP Hewell, near Redditch; while Scott, 31, of Hawksyard Road, Erdington, was at Nottingham prison.
In addition to the murder charge, all five also face charges of wounding two other men, Niall Kavanagh and Nigel Mkhwananzi, with intent to cause them grievous bodily harm.
They are also charged with violent disorder and assaulting Christopher O'Brien causing him actual bodily harm, with Thompson alone facing a charge of possessing an offensive weapon, a knife, at the night club.
The judge ordered that the rest of the prosecution evidence should be served on the defence by July 3, prior to a further hearing the following month.
Adjourning the case, Judge Griffith-Jones said the defendants could be arraigned at that hearing, when he would also deal with other matters including any application on behalf of Scott and the 'custody time limits' – the length of time someone can be remanded in custody before standing trial.
He remanded all five men in custody, but Mr Lester pointed out that it is expected a bail application will be made for Scott and possibly Ali.
