CHIGWELL: Stabbed to death over 'silly prank'

2:45pm Wednesday 29th October 2008

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A TEENAGER was knifed over a prank with an umbrella, a court has heard.

Jack Large, 14, was stabbed so hard in the head with a knife in Limes Avenue, Chigwell, that it became embedded in his skull.

Two Chigwell teenagers – Boy A, 15, and Boy B, aged 14 – are accused of murder. They cannot be identified because of their age.

Prosecutor Martyn Levett told the jury at Chelmsford Crown Court: “The prosecution allege both defendants acted together as a pledge or agreement to attack Jack Large. They’re in it together. They share an intent of committing a crime.

“The prosecution say it wasn’t in self defence. [Boy A] did not stab Jack once, it was twice, once in the back, then in the head. Jack was only 5ft 3ins. Bent over crouched with his back turned, he really can’t have posed any threat.

“The killing blow was to the head and skull of Jack Large. So hard was that blow that the knife embedded in the skull.

“Such a stabbing was not done in self-defence. It was done with intent to cause really serious injury, or worse, to kill him.”

Jack Large was attacked on November 30 last year outside an unmanned police office, and died two days later.

Mr Levett admitted that at the time Jack was under a curfew order and should not have been on the Limes Farm Estate, but added: “That doesn’t excuse the killing at all.”

He said CCTV footage would pay an important part in the trial and the jury was shown footage of Jack and the two defendants walking around Limes Farm at various times of the day, although footage of the actual killing does not exist.

Jack, of Yeomen Way, in Hainault, was first seen at about 6pm with a group of friends outside the Budgens supermarket.

At one point his mother, Julie Maddison, is seen driving up to visit the store.

Mr Levett said she reminded her son to be home by 9pm adding: “That’s possibly the last time she saw Jack.”

He told the jury: “After that Jack was messing around with an umbrella. Larking around, poking it at people. A lot of the young people took it as a joke, but when he poked it at (Boy A) the joke had stopped.

“(He) squared up to Jack Large. We are told they squared up by three witnesses there. One of them split the two boys up. That enabled Jack to go on his way and (Boy A) was held back to stop him following. It shows some antagonism was already felt.

“When Jack and (Boy A) were squaring up (Boy B) was present. A number of witnesses say he was backing (Boy A) up. He said if he didn’t stab Jack Large he’d do it himself.

“He pulled up his sleeve to reveal the blue-handled knife. He must have taken it out that night. You have to ask yourself: why did he do that?”

Mr Levett said Boy B continued to talk to his co-defendant throughout the evening, telling him that Jack had used racist language towards him and was carrying a knife.

The prosecutor said no knife was found on Jack, but he had possessed the broken end of an umbrella which could have been mistaken for one.

The jury was told both defendants continued to linger in the Limes Farm Estate, but eventually agreed to leave.

Mr Levett said they were on their way home when someone else cried out that Jack had come back.

He said the defendants followed him to a grassy patch near the unmanned police office where Boy B handed a knife to his co-defendant who stabbed Jack twice, piercing his lung and brain.

CCTV footage had recorded the defendants’ movements to and from the murder scene, said Mr Levett.

He added: “1 minute 26 seconds. In that short space of time, that 86 seconds, (Boy A) had stabbed Jack Large at the side of his back and top of his skull. The knife he left embedded in Jack’s skull left a serious injury from which he never recovered.”

Both defendants are charged with murder while Boy B is also accused of possessing an offensive weapon. Both deny the charges.

The trial continues.