‘Murdered in the street by a 17-year-old’

A teenager stabbed a 16-year-old boy to death after chasing him down the street holding two blades, a court heard.

Rommel McKoy told a witness ‘call an ambulance, I’m going to die’ as he staggered along Hicken Road, Brixton, with blood on his hands on 4 April last year.

The alleged killer, 17, repeatedly stabbed Rommel McKoy to the chest and stomach following a row about money, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Rommel was given CPR and taken to hospital where he died 16 days later while the defendant, who cannot be named, was arrested on a BA flight to Jamaica the same day.

Prosecutor Philip Evans KC told jurors: ‘Just after 7:30 pm on 4 April 2022, so last year, a boy named Rommel McCoy was stabbed…on Hicken Road in Brixton.

‘[The 17-year-old] ran, and ran at Rommel McKoy, he ran down Hicken Road towards Rommel McKoy and as he got to him, he produced knives, which he had taken with him to the scene, he used those knives to stab Rommel Mckoy a number of times in the chest and abdomen area.

‘[Rommel was taken to King’s College Hospital where he was treated for a period of two weeks, he could not be saved, and his life was pronounced extinct on 20 April 2022, he was 16 years at the time of his death

‘The Crown says from a combination of direct eyewitness evidence, from the CCTV evidence which has been gathered and from other supporting evidence it is possible to identify [this defendant] as being the person at the scene and thus being the person who produced the knives and ultimately the person who delivered the fatal blows to Rommel McKoy and ultimately causing his death.’

Mr Evans said a witness, who was known to both parties, later told police that on 3 April, the day before the stabbing, Rommel had argued with the defendant.

‘The argument had something to do with money and the argument got to a point where they were about to fight [until an adult had to intervene] and split them up,’ the prosecutor said.

They met again the following evening to talk, according to the witness.

‘When the defendant saw Rommel, he ran up to him and stabbed him.

‘He [the eyewitness] saw the defendant take out a kitchen knife from his tracksuit bottoms and start swinging at Rommel McKoy, but he didn’t see where he got stabbed or how many times the knife made contact with Rommel’s body,’ said Mr Evans.

CCTV footage taken from Hicken Road that evening showed the moment when the 17-year-old produces two blades and bolts towards Rommel.

‘He lunges at Rommel McKoy as [Rommel] begins to hold his jacket out as a barrier between himself and the knives,’ said the prosecutor.

‘Another eyewitness says they saw a black man making multiple stabbing movements towards the victim and shouting ‘and what?’, said Mr Evans.

He then ran back along the road as the victim stumbled up the adjoining St Matthew’s Rroad where members of the public tried to assist him.

‘An eyewitness says Rommel McKoy was staggering with blood on his hands, he was in shock and saying ‘call an ambulance, I’m going to die’ as he became visibly weaker,’ said Mr Evans.

Rommel suffered a sharp force trauma to his chest and abdomen and died from injuries associated with trauma to his heart, diaphragm, and liver, the court heard.

‘His life was pronounced extinct on 20 April and life support was withdrawn on 22 April,’ said the prosecutor.’

Mr Evans said it’s the prosecution’s case that the 17-year-old murdered Rommel.

‘The defendant does not accept that the person the prosecution say is him, is him. He disputes that,’ said Mr Evans.

He was arrested on 20 April after being arrested on a BA flight to Jamaica that was about to depart from Gatwick airport, jurors heard.

‘He largely answered no comments to the questions he was asked, however on occasion he did state ‘it’s not me’ and he suggested that at the time this indent took place that he was at home playing with his PS4,’ said Mr Evans.

‘However, a set of keys were found near the scene and those keys fit the door of the defendant’s address.’

The 17 year old, of Brixton, denies murder.

The trial continues.