Man on trial for murder after armed fight in street ended when victim was knifed in neck

A knifeman murdered a rival during a "voluntary, vicious and mutual" armed fight in the street, jurors have been told.
Police at the scenePolice at the scene
Police at the scene

Mohamed Rahman, 43, and Alan Stokoe, 26, who had both had relationships Laura McGee, clashed outside her home.

Newcastle Crown Court heard an allegation that during the violence Rahman murdered Mr Stokoe with a knife blow to the neck.

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Murder jurors have been shown CCTV and the moment Mr Stokoe crashed to the ground as a result of the fatal blow.

Alan Stokoe, 26, from Chester-le-Street, who has been named as the victim of a stabbing in Melville Street in Chester-le-Street.Alan Stokoe, 26, from Chester-le-Street, who has been named as the victim of a stabbing in Melville Street in Chester-le-Street.
Alan Stokoe, 26, from Chester-le-Street, who has been named as the victim of a stabbing in Melville Street in Chester-le-Street.

Prosecutors claim in the nine minutes it took for emergency services to arrive at the scene, Rahman came up with a "pack of lies" about Mr Stokoe going into Miss McGee's house with two knives and having to be disarmed.

It is claimed he then "gave the appearance" of administering First Aid, despite Mr Stokoe being left lying unassisted in the street for a number of minutes.

Rahman, of Eamont Gardens, Hartlepool, denies murder and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and is being tried by a jury.

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Prosecutor Jamie Hill QC said Rahman was in an "on-off" relationship with Miss McGee and Mr Stokoe was also a former partner of her.

Police forensic officers survey the scene following a suspected stabbing on Melville Street in Chester-le-Street.Police forensic officers survey the scene following a suspected stabbing on Melville Street in Chester-le-Street.
Police forensic officers survey the scene following a suspected stabbing on Melville Street in Chester-le-Street.

Mr Hill said around 2am on the morning of July 21 last year, Mr Stokoe entered Melville Street, in Chester-le-Street, where Miss McGee lived, with a "knife in one hand and a mobile phone in the other".

The court heard Mr Stokoe walked towards Miss McGee's home and was "gesticulating with the knife", with his mobile phone held to his ear but then walked away.

Moments later, Rahman emerged from Miss McGee's house, appeared to pass a phone to her and had a "very large kitchen knife" in his hand, the court was told.

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He then appeared to "shrug his shoulders" and go back into the house, jurors heard.

Police forensic officers survey the scene in Melville Street in Chester-le-Street.Police forensic officers survey the scene in Melville Street in Chester-le-Street.
Police forensic officers survey the scene in Melville Street in Chester-le-Street.

Mr Hill said it was "about one minute" later, Mr Stokoe walked back towards the house.

Mr Hill added: "At almost exactly the same time, Mr Rahman appeared again in the open doorway and began to move towards Mr Stokoe.

"Both men increased their pace.

"Both men ran to meet each other.

"Both were plainly armed with their respective knives and both began to lash out at each other.

"Both struck a number of blows.

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"Both tussled and grappled with each other and flailed about with their weapons.

"That short outburst of violence ended when Mr Rahman put his knife through the neck of Mr Stokoe.

"Immediately Mr Stokoe staggered, was seen to prop himself, momentarily, against the side of a car but then he fell, without breaking his fall, and lay motionless on the road."

Mr Hill said the clash was a "voluntary, vicious and mutual knife fight with consequences that, with the benefit or retrospect, were almost inevitable. They both wanted to fight with knives."

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The court heard Rahman, who also received several stab wounds, went back inside the house and placed his knife in the sink.

Jurors heard he twice went back out to Mr Stokoe lay before the emergency services arrived and placed his his hand on the injured man's neck "literally as the police were arriving".

Mr Hill said Rahman told lies in a bid to put up a "spurious" defence after the killing.

Mr Hill added: "The prosecution case, quite simply, is when Mr Rahman put his knife into Mr Stokoe's throat he murdered him."

The trial continues.

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