Peterborough murder trial: suspects caught smiling on CCTV after teen stabbing

Two teenagers deny murdering 16-year-old Baye Bireme Fall near a Peterborough shopping centre in April. CCTV showed the accused smiling and shaking hands moments after the stabbing.

Defendants 'smiling and shaking hands' moments after fatal stabbing in Peterborough

Two teenagers accused of murdering a 16-year-old in Peterborough were captured on CCTV "smiling and shaking hands" shortly after the fatal stabbing, a court has heard, bbc.co.uk reports.

Baye Bireme Fall, known as BB, died from a single stab wound following a confrontation near the Ortongate Shopping Centre on 12 April. Emidas Krutkevicius, 18, of Garton End Road, Peterborough, and a 15-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, are both on trial at Peterborough Crown Court, where they deny murder.

Prosecutor Kate Wilkinson told jurors that a "disagreement" had arisen between associates of Krutkevicius and Baye, and that the pair had arranged to meet "to resolve the issue". Wilkinson outlined social media conversations between Krutkevicius and Baye exchanged the day before the meeting.

Both defendants were "armed with knives" in the lead-up to the encounter, Wilkinson said. Baye arrived at the shopping centre with two others and was also carrying a weapon, but the prosecutor told jurors it was never "seen out of its protective sheath" and that there was no scientific evidence it had been used to harm anyone. Witnesses inside the shopping centre described the atmosphere as "hostile".

Krutkevicius subsequently waved a knife towards Baye in an alleyway, according to the prosecution. CCTV footage then showed the defendants running away, with a witness describing them as "both carrying knives, weapons out". Baye followed them, Wilkinson said, and the defendants "waited for him to catch up" with their knives "ready".

"What is clear is that BB is not seen to take out any sort of knife he had with him," Wilkinson told the jury. "If such a weapon had been taken out it would, the crown say, have been visible on the CCTV."

Jurors were shown footage of further activity in a nearby car park, after which Baye collapsed. He was taken to hospital, where he later died.

Wilkinson said the defendants "fled the car park" immediately after Baye was stabbed. She added that "whichever of the two inflicted the fatal stab wound, they acted jointly".

The trial at Peterborough Crown Court is expected to last five to six weeks and is ongoing.

Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)