Connor Brown murder trial: What happened in court on day seven as case is adjourned until Monday, December 2

Two 20-year-old men, Leighton Barrass, of Hartside Square, and Ally Gordon, of Polmuir Road, are standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court charged with murder.

On Wednesday, November 20, Detective Constable Mark Wedderburn talked jurors through CCTV footage of the incident which led to Connor’s death and forensic scientist John Newell presented evidence in relation to blood stains found on a knife and clothing that were seized.

The trial continues on Thursday, November 21.

Please refresh the page for the latest updates from today’s hearing.

1.10pm: Case adjourned

The jury has been told that all of the material available to the court has been presented at this stage.

They will return on Monday, December 2.

The trial was not due to sit next week and the time tomorrow will also be used to prepare more information to be considered.

1.05pm: Gordon was unable to describe any of the men involved

He was asked about the second stage of the fight, but he said it all happened at the same time as his fight, with the same group.

CCTV was played during the interview and the officer pointed out who they think is Barrass. He said he can’t identify anyone else in the footage.

Gordon replied saying he didn’t know if Barrass has a knife on him. He said Barrass was having a fight with someone else as he was involved in another one.

They showed him the video where it is said to show him kicking and he said there was four others trying to “get into Leighton” not on camera.

He said he was trying to get the man off from on top of his friend and he can remember doing it.

12.45pm: Gordon was asked about Barrass being injured and who he had fought with

The officer said they get the impression that they were “taking the Mick” but Gordon disagrees.

He said he couldn’t remember what was said, but “verbals” had led to the fight.

Connor’s name was brought up and Gordon said he found out about his death on Facebook on the Sunday after at 2pm.

He said: “I never knew he was dead” and claimed he had just seen people rolling about.

He also stated that he didn’t see anyone injured or bleeding and that there “was about 10 of them.”

He described the man he fought with as tall and skinny.

12.10pm: Gordon claims he has known Barrass “all his life”

He says they had been at school together and that they had drank a few pints with each other that night, but hadn’t taken anything else.

He said he couldn’t remember where he had been to drink and they had no plans to meet anyone.

12.05pm: Court hears Gordon’s response to the blood on his shoes

He said: “Obviously I’m not going to walk about with a pair of white bloody shoes.”

He claimed he didn’t know whose blood it was.

He says his grandma threw him out of the house.

He explained how he had two caps on the night, with the white one belonging to Barrass and he had worn it during the evening.

Gordon said he didn’t notice blood on his clothes, but he had got changed.

12pm: Gordon describes walking away with Barrass up the back lane

He said that’s when “the coppers grabbed him” and he was shouting at them to get off him.

He said this happened outside of The Cooper Rose.

He said he “thought it was a scrap” when he was asked if he knew someone had been stabbed.

11.55am: More statements from Gordon are being heard

He agreed he was fighting with someone he doesn’t know because the other man was “cheeky.”

He says he was hit in the back of the head, but didn’t know how or what with.

He was asked where the incident happened and says he was shown CCTV from a different fight.

He claims he didn’t fight with the person who died and that he’d had a few drinks.

He knew Barrass had been arrested as he saw that happen.

He said he couldn’t remember much because he was “absolutely blotto” and said he tried to “boot” a number of people off Barrass.

The officer checks he means kick, but he says it was with a flat foot. Gordon denies it was a stamp.

He said no one had a knife.

11.50am: Mr Bunch is reading the statement with Det Sgt Grassie

The statement covers the knife found on Gordon on arrest.

He said to officers that he agreed that he was there when someone was killed, but then signed the statement with a swear word.

He did the same when he made a statement about “not murdering” anyone, which was accompanied by a swear word.

The officer tells him this is a chance to say he didn’t do anything, if he didn’t.

He said: “He’s stabbed and he’s dead.”

He admitted he was in town but replies: “Nothing else to say” when the officer asks a number of questions about the incident, including being in the lane and seeing anyone with a knife.

He is also asked about seeing anyone hurt, but doesn’t reply.

He goes on to say he had a fight and swears but doesn’t reply to a list of questions about the fight and what he was doing and what others were doing.

He replied no to having weapons or causing injury.

The officer asked if he would have the other person’s blood on him and he said the other wasn’t bleeding but might have.

11.40am: Detective Sergeant Angus Grassie has been called into court

He is a member of Northumbria Police’s homicide team and is the officer in this case.

Chief Superintendent John Bent supervises him and his officers during the investigation.

Michael Bunch, one of the two prosecutors, is addressing him as they go through a transcript of Gordon’s interview on Monday, February 25.

11am: The break continues

The time the court will resume has not been given.

Legal teams are agreeing to the editing of evidence to be given to the jury later today.

10.55am: Further statements from Barrass were read out before the break

These statements included: “I didn’t mean to do it, it just happened,” and “I can’t believe I did that by accident.”

“I didn’t intend to stab him. He ran into me,” and “I got the shock of my life.”

10.50am: Court hears from Gordon’s grandmother

Prior to the break, a statement was heard from Marie Alcock, Gordon’s grandmother, who he lived with on Polmuir Road.

She said Gordon left the house at around 7.15pm on Saturday, February 23, to meet friends in town.

She got a call at 11pm to say he was staying out. He then rang at 1am to be let back in as he didn’t have a key with him.

He went into his room, but then headed out again, with a taxi waiting down the street. Mrs Alcock said she didn’t manage to go back to sleep after this because she knew he was out in the town.

At around 2am he came back and told her a friend had been stabbed.

He wanted to head back to see how they were, but she told him his friend would be in hospital, so that there was no point.

He had been wearing bright white trainers, which had spots of blood on them. They cost over £100 and Mrs Alcock said she didn’t want to see them damaged, so she steeped them in a bowl of cold water before hanging them on the line the next morning. They were seized by police who came to her home later that day.

Gordon got changed into a pair of black trainers and left the house again. After that, he didn’t respond to her calls or texts.

10.45am: The court is taking a break to deal with the editing of a document

More of Barrass’s behaviour has been discussed prior to the beak.

He told one officer: “I’m going to get at least five years for this. He hit me first.”

He also asked: “What if it’s not on camera?”

One comment recorded by police reported that he had said: “I didn’t mean to do it, he threw a punch at me, I can’t believe he’s dead.”

He also told a sergeant they were “dragging” and that he just wanted to “get this done mate.”

10.35am: Court also hears about Barrass’s behaviour in custody

He had a conversation over the phone with his mother in which he said he was sorry.

He was taken to South Tyneside Hospital for treatment and tried to speak to the officer with him about what had happened and said: “I didn’t mean to do it, he hit me first.”

The court has heard how he made claims to officers handling him that he had acted in self defence and that Connor had run into him.

10.30am: Officer talks through Gordon’s behaviour

The court has heard a statement from a Northumbria officer who went to Edinburgh with a colleague to collect Gordon.

He said Gordon did not speak during the journey and slept most of the way.

The officer noted a series of comments in his book about what Gordon said, and when asked to sign them, wrote swear words instead.

The court has been told, when he saw the bag of evidence, Gordon claimed the knife was used for his work.

10.25am: Prosecutor Jamie Hill QC will read witness statements

The first two statements are from officers involved in the arrest of Gordon.

The first is from an British Transport Police (BTP) officer based in Waverley Station in Edinburgh.

She and a colleague were altered to a man expected to arrive on an LNER service from London who they needed to look for and arrest on suspicion of murder from Northumbria Police.

They spotted the man who matched the description and stopped him. He provided a passport in the name of Ally Gordon.

He was arrested on suspicion of murder and admitted to having a folding knife in his jacket pocket, which was seized.

The officer said he then became volatile and started swearing.

He was taken to a nearby police station and started spitting and banging his head.

He was checked in to a cell and his clothes were seized.

10.20am: The hearing has resumed

Barrass is wearing a white shirt and dark tie.

Gordon is wearing a suit, shirt and tie.

10am: The trial continues on its seventh day

Farringdon lad and dedicated Sunderland AFC fan, Connor worked as a receptionist at Happy House GP surgery, in Durham Road.

Wearside was left shocked by Connor's death and tributes were paid from across the city.

Today marks day seven of the trial of two men accused of murdering the Sunderland teenager.