Connor Brown murder trial: What happened on day seven of court hearing

Leighton Barrass, of Hartside Square, Hylton Lane Estate, and Ally Gordon, of Polmuir Road, Plains Farm, are standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

They are charged with the murder of 18-year-old Connor, who died in the early hours of Sunday, February 24, after he was stabbed five times while on a night out in Sunderland city centre.

Connor had spent the afternoon with friends in The Dolphin pub before heading into town to continue celebrating a mate’s birthday.

His pal Stephen Nunn got into an altercation with Barrass after it was said he tricked him out of £5 when he asked for change of a £10 note.

After an initial confrontation, Connor and Barrass fought, with Gordon said to have kicked Connor while they were on the ground.

The court has previously heard a knife with the words ‘Joker Why so serious’ on it was found in the lane with Barrass’s DNA on it, as well as Connor’s blood.

A pathologist has told the court he died due to a stab wound to his heart.

On Thursday, November 21, the court heard its seventh day of evidence from the prosecution.

The jury has been told to return on the morning of Monday, December 2, as the court will not be sitting next week.

Court hears of search to find Gordon on train heading north

While Barrass has been arrested after he was stopped close to the scene by door staff, Gordon was traced after police received information he could be on an LNER train heading for Edinburgh on the night of Monday, February 25.

A British Transport Police officer who was on patrol at Waverley station said she and a colleague were given a description of a man and told to arrest him on suspicion of murder on behalf of Northumbria Police.

They spotted him and asked for ID, with Gordon handing over his own passport.

As they arrested him, they went to carry out a search, and he told them he had a knife in his jacket pocket, at which point he became volatile and started to swear – he would later tell Northumbria Police officers at Southwick it was his ‘work knife.’

The officers put him in a van to transport him to a police station, when he started to spit, bang his head and cry.

He was later collected by two Northumbria Police officers, who said he slept for most of the journey back to the North East, with his clothing seized before the trip.

The police officer who had driven him back made a series of observations about things Gordon had said, including that “someone had been killed” and “I never murdered” anyone.

When asked to sign the officer’s book, he instead wrote swear words.

Gordon’s grandmother gives statement to police

Marie Alcock, who lived with Gordon at her home in Polmuir Road, gave a statement to police.

She said they had been watching television when her grandson left the house at 7.15pm on Saturday, February 23, to meet friends in town.

He called at 11pm to say he was staying out, then rang her at 1am to get back in the house.

He returned at 2am and said his friend had been stabbed and was heading back out to see how he was.

He had blood on his white Nike trainers, so she put them in a bowl of water to steep, he changed his shoes and then left.

Gordon did not return her messages after that and police arrived the next day, seizing the trainers.

Detectives interview Gordon at Southwick Police Station

A large number of questions put to the defendant went without reply, but Gordon told them he did not know Connor or realised someone had died.

Officers were told he could not remember what happened because he was “absolutely blotto.”

He told officers he did not see a knife, did not know Barrass was armed, did not see anyone injured, although had seen blood, and had ran off because he had not done anything.

He said he had got into a fight because the other group had been “cheeky” and went to help get whoever it was who was attacking his friend.

When Connor’s name was brought up, Gordon says he found out about his death on Facebook on the Sunday at 2pm.

Barrass calls his mum to say ‘sorry’ as he asks police about what will happen to him

A police officer’s written statement explained he heard Barrass on the phone to his mother and was thinking of taking his own life.

The court heard he went on to say: “If you come and see me I’ll be able to talk to you properly.

“I can’t get to sleep thinking about it.

“I can’t face this mam.”

He later pointed to his swollen eye and said: “I acted in self-defence, he hit me in the face,” while on another occasion he said he of the incident “couldn’t believe he was dead,” and also complained police were “dragging it out.”

Barrass also told officers: “I can’t believe I did that by accident, I didn’t intentionally stab him, he ran into me.

“I got the shock of my life.”