A teenager accused of murdering a young man who was stabbed to death in the borough has been found not guilty of his murder after a ruling by the judge.

The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, stood accused of the murder of Coby Tristram, 18. 

Mr Tristram was fatally stabbed in the area around Abingdon Avenue in Whitefield on March 28 this year. 

The youth was up before Manchester Crown Court on the charges of murder, manslaughter, and violent disorder. 

All three of those charges were dropped today, Wednesday, due to a lack of evidence. 

He has pleaded guilty to a lower charge of possession of an offensive weapon on the date, a knife.

The charge of manslaughter has also been dropped against his three co-accused, Shams Benda, 18, Charlie Harrison, 21, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named. 

The charge of violent disorder against Benda, of Victoria Grove, Bolton, was also dropped. 

Addressing the jury, the Honorary Recorder of Manchester Judge Nicholas Dean KC, said: "The basic task given to me by the law is to assess whether or not the evidence that the prosecution has put before you is capable of allowing you to find defendants guilty in relation to the charges, as regards which submissions are made. 

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"Count one is murder and count two is an allegation of manslaughter, so far as (the 16-year-old) is concerned. 

"Coby Tristram is the victim of those counts. Mr Hamilton (prosecuting) said the law provides that you can use violence in reasonable self-defence. You can use such force as is necessary to defend yourself from an attack. That is lawful. 

"It is for the prosecution to prove an assault is unlawful, it is for them to prove the defendant was not acting in self defence." 

He added: "My ruling so far as counts one and two are concerned has been that, taken as a whole, the evidence presented by the prosecution is incapable of demonstrating to the required standard as so it could make you sure that the defendant did not act in lawful self defence. 

"Because that is my ruling, he must be found not guilty of murder and manslaughter." 

Judge Dean said that the charge of manslaughter must also be dropped against Harrison, of Mather Avenue, Whitefield, the 17-year-old defendant and Benda.

The court also dropped the charges of violent disorder against Benda and the 16-year-old due to insufficient evidence.

Following this, all four defendants pleaded guilty to lower charges.

Harrison and the 17-year-old pleaded guilty to violent disorder, while the 16-year-old and Benda pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.

The judge then dismissed the jury and set a sentencing date of November 25.