Teen boy accused of Whitefield murder claims 'self defence'

Coby Tristram, 18, was fatally stabbed after an incident around Abingdon Avenue in Whitefield on March 28 this year.

A trial at Manchester Crown Court heard a police interview with Charlie Harrison, 21, read by prosecutor Jamie Hamilton KC with a police officer’s help, who had been in attendance.

In his interview, Harrison said: “I can see him stood at the entrance of the ginnel, I’ve seen he’s frantic, seen things have gone wrong yeah?”

He added: “He said ‘I’ve been stabbed, I’ve stabbed, I’ve been stabbed’, and I’m saying 'by who, by who, by who'.

CSI officers at work (Image: Newsquest)

“He’s not saying. He’s in shock, yeah?”

In the police interview, carried out on March 29, Harrison said that he had “never seen so much blood” in his life.

Harrison said that Mr Tristram was “like a really chill kid, a chill guy so I knew something was wrong".

He told the detectives that Mr Tristram did not owe anyone any money and did not have “any issue” with anyone and so did not know why anyone would attack him like that.

Harrison said that he may have seen a “kid running in the distance” all dressed in black after Mr Tristram was stabbed.

He told the officers that he himself had “no issue with anyone” and that if they found a knife in the area it would not have his fingerprints or DNA on it.

But Mr Hamilton told the court that at a further police interview on March 30 Harrison admitted he had been with Mr Tristram and another man that day.

Police officers in the area (Image: Newsquest)

He said that they were then confronted by two other men and so Harrison pulled out a knife to “ward them off” before turning around and seeing that Mr Tristram had been stabbed.

But he still denied being the aggressor and said he was only using the knife to “ward aggressors away".

Mr Hamilton told the court that a 16-year-boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also arrested and was interviewed under caution by police on April 3.

In a prepared statement the boy said he was “under attack and acted in self-defence".

He said: “The CCTV in this case speaks volumes, I acted in self defence and will continue to exercise my right to silence.”

After Mr Tristram died from his injuries on April 11, the boy was further arrested on suspicion of murder.

In another prepared statement he denied the allegation and continued to claim self-defence,

Mr Hamilton said that 18-year-old Bolton man Shams Benda was also arrested in connection with the stabbing of Mr Tristram.

In an interview at Bolton Police Station on April 4 Benda answered “no comment” to all questions put to him.

Mr Hamilton told the jury that a 17-year-old boy, who also cannot be named for legal reasons, surrendered at Bury Police Station on April 3.

He was interviewed under caution the next day and answered no comment to all questions.

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The 16-year-old boy denies murder, manslaughter and violent disorder, while the 17-year-old boy denies manslaughter and violent disorder.

Benda, of Victoria Grove, Heaton, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, violent disorder, and possessing an offensive weapon.

Harrison, of Mather Avenue, Whitefield, denies manslaughter and violent disorder. 

The trial before the Honorary Recorder of Manchester Judge Nicholas Dean KC continues.