Father of four murdered in Snapchat drug deal

Two teenagers brokered a drug deal over Snapchat which ended in the ‘vicious’ murder of a father-of-four, a court heard.

Syd Goss, 22, Jermaine Forrester, 25, and Ryan Graham, 26, allegedly posed as drug suppliers before robbing and killing Lee Baxter, 34, in Ilford, in front of his brother.

Mr Baxter had been due to collect a large quantity of cannabis before he was held in a headlock and stabbed repeatedly, the Old Bailey heard.

Demi Anderson, 26, is said to have driven the three alleged attackers to and from the scene in a Nissan Juke on 9 October 2020.

Prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis, QC, told jurors that Lee had told a schoolgirl he needed ‘a box of weed’ and asked her to arrange it.

She put out a request on social media and a schoolboy said he had bought cannabis from someone called Rells, jurors heard.

Rells is said to be Ryan Graham.

The schoolboy said the deal could be arranged for the next day, jurors heard.

The two teenagers had a discussion on Snapchat and arranged to meet.

Mr Corsellis said: ‘Lee Baxter drove to an area of Ilford called Pavillion Terrace with his brother, Karl, and they did so in order to buy a quantity of cannabis.

‘The deal was to be a substantial one and he, Lee Baxter, had £5,000 with him in order to pay for the drug.

‘The four defendants were all at the scene, seemingly in order to conduct the drugs deal, but in reality, they were prepared and preparing to commit a robbery of the money.

‘The three male defendants had been driven to the location by Ms Anderson who was, the Crown say, fully aware that they were all involved in drug dealing.

‘Whether the defendants in fact had access to the amount of drugs being sought is unknown.

‘However, what is certain, is that at least one of them was armed with a knife and ready to use it.’

The prosecutor said negotiations took place at the scene.

Mr Baxter showed his alleged attackers that he had a large amount of cash on him before walking away from the deal, frustrated at the lack of drugs being produced, jurors heard.

‘As he and his brother walked away the defendants turned to violence in order to execute their plan to rob him,’ Mr Corsellis said.

‘Mr Forrester attacked Lee Baxter first, striking him and placing him into a headlock.

‘He was joined by Ryan Graham and they both took him to the floor where he was stabbed.

‘Syd Goss chased Karl Baxter, the brother, having produced his knife, which he swung at him in order to slash or try and stab him too.

‘Karl Baxter ran to the car that they had arrived in and started it.

‘In its headlights he saw all three defendants attacking and stabbing his brother on the floor.

‘Lee Baxter received nine stab wounds and other injuries.’

The mortal wound Mr Baxter suffered was to the femoral artery and vein in his leg, causing him to die ‘within minutes’ of the ‘sustained and viscous’ attack.

‘The three male defendants ran away to the waiting Ms Anderson,’ Mr Corsellis continued.

‘The prosecution’s case is that all three of the male defendants were acting together as a team in order to rob, and ready to inflict really serious bodily harm with their knives.

‘And, whilst they were doing so, Ms Anderson was waiting around the corner in her car with the lights on, engine running in order for them to make a getaway from a scene of crime where she knew that some violence was to be inflicted on a person.

‘Ms Anderson proceeded, as you will see, to drive them all to their respective addresses whereupon a cleaning up process was undertaken.’

It is said they bleached one of the knives, dumped some of their clothing into a bin, washed other pieces of blood-stained clothes and deleted communications from their phones.

Goss, of Huntsman Road, Ilford, Essex, Forrester, of Lennox Close, Romford, east London, and Graham, of Farnham Road, Ilford, Essex, all deny murder.

Anderson, of Barfields, Loughton, Essex, denies manslaughter and assisting an offender.

The trial continues.