Man stabbed on Christmas Day was involved in car park row hours before alleged Wolverhampton murder
Father-of-two was allegedly killed on Christmas Day after violent confrontations with two brothers
A man stabbed on Christmas Day was involved in an altercation with a motorist on a Wolverhampton pub car park hours before he was attacked by two brothers.
The jury in the trial of two men accused of murdering Trey Johnson heard that there was altercation between the father-of-two and someone outside the Merry Boys public house in Willenhall Road at about 8.30pm on Christmas Eve. The incident was captured on CCTV and attracted onlookers, who piled out of the premises to see what the “fuss was about”.
On Friday giving prosecution evidence West Midlands Police forensics officer Det Cons Abbie Mercer played the footage at Wolverhampton Crown Court. The 30-year-old could be seen walking towards a white car and appearing to speak to the driver through the open door. The motorist comes out of the car and appears to reach towards the father-of-two who appears to move backwards.
In cross-examination it was put to the officer by the defence counsel that the person had taken aim towards Mr Johnson’s face which potentially caused him to sustain a broken eye socket.
DC Mercer replied: “I disagree that it happened at the Merry Boys pub because I did not see that Trey appears to be hit in his facial area, that’s my opinion.”
She conceded that there could be other interpretations to the footage. Det Cons Mercer said it appeared that Mr Johnson had been pushed, but not punched during the altercation.
The jury previously heard that at about 3am the following morning Mr Johnson was involved in a fight with Richard Beckles and Tiego Beckles who were captured on film punching, kicking and stamping on him outside city centre bar De Fusion in Exchange Street. It is the prosecution's case that he sustained a fracture to his left eye socket at this point.
Within 20 minutes the three arrived separately in Burcot Avenue, Eastfields, where there was another violent confrontation resulting in the father-of-two collapsing to the ground.
The court heard that the incident happened outside the home of Janine Dunkley the mother of the defendants, who came outside, to see what was going on and called the emergency services to the scene.
The prosecution alleges that both defendants were armed in Burcot Avenue, Richard Beckles with a long knife and Tiego Beckles with what appeared to be a baseball bat. And that they chased the alleged victim along the road where he was stabbed, resulting in his death minutes later.
Richard Beckles, aged 19, of Stafford Street, Willenhall, and Tiego Beckles, aged 21, of Broad Gauge Way, Wolverhampton, deny murdering and wounding Mr Johnson. Richard Beckles also denies possessing a knife. Tiego Beckles admits possessing a baseball bat.
The trial continues.