Teenager accused of being involved in city knife attack refuses to give evidence

A jury has heard closing speeches in the trial of a 19-year-old accused of being involved in a knife attack on a man in a Norwich flat.

Norwich Crown Court has heard the victim needed a blood transfusion after being stabbed in the leg after he was attacked by three youths at a flat in Jewson Road.

David Wilson, prosecuting, has told the jury of seven women and five men that the victim was set upon by three youths on September 28 last year but they returned armed with weapons to carry out a second, more serious attack.

That only ended when the victim's sister told them to stop or they were going to kill him.

Brandon Green, of Tuckswood Lane, Norwich, has gone on trial after he denied wounding with intent and assault causing actual bodily harm to the victim and also causing actual bodily harm to the victim's sister, who was injured trying to protect her brother.

Green refused to take the stand to give evidence in the case himself.

Judge Alice Robinson has started to sum up the case and told jurors it was the defendant's right not to give evidence in the case.

She told them that they must not assume he was guilty just because he did not give evidence.

Judge Robinson will continue with her summing up at 2pm today (Thursday March 21) before sending the jury out to consider verdicts in the case.

Earlier, closing speeches were given by Mr Wilson, prosecuting, and Daniel Taylor, defending.

Mr Wilson said the defendant was identified by the victim's sister who she had known for about two to three years as she had supplied both her and her brother with drugs.

He said the defendant was a drug dealer who discovered he had been 'shortchanged' by the victim.

Mr Wilson asked the jury what does a drug dealer who has been shortchanged do?

He asked the jury whether you 'walk away and say 'that's all rather unfortunate'' or do you 'leave a mark'.

He said: 'The defendant is a drug dealer and part and parcel of that is to enforce debt and send out a message that he can't be short changed or taken advantage of'.

Mr Wilson said drug dealing was a business that needed customers and 'customers that pay'.

Mr Taylor, defending, said the victim's sister had a grudge against the defendant who she did not like and has given evidence against him in order to 'get back at him for other grievances'.

He also said that apart from a finger print there was 'no forensic evidence to link Brandon Green to this attack'.

He said the attack was not sophisticated but 'frenzied, spontaneous and violent'.

He said there was 'blood everywhere' yet nothing had been evidenced by the prosecution to link his client to the victim.

The jury has already been told that two defendants, Connor Farley, 18, and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, have admitted their involvement in the case.

The trial continues.