Trial for 5 accused of chasing, killing 14-year-old British teen starts
All five defendants were captured on video chasing the victim and running away from the scene after the stabbing of Dea-John Reid
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Two men and three teenagers “hunted down” and fatally stabbed British teen Dea-John Reid in broad daylight, a murder trial heard this week.
Reid, 14, was killed in the Kingstanding area of Birmingham, England on May 31, 2021, after being chased and subjected to racist verbal abuse, theGrio reported. According to the BBC, West Midlands Police said the victim and his friends were approached on the street by a group of people and were the target of racist language.
Michael Shields, 36, George Khan, 39, a 16-year-old and two 15-year-olds, are on trial and accused of murder. They each deny the charge. The teens are minors so names cannot be disclosed.
Reid was stabbed by one of the two 15-year-old defendants and CCTV footage of the moment was shown in court this week. All five defendants are seen on the video chasing Reid and running away after he’s knifed on College Road in front of multiple witnesses.
Reid died at the scene from the stab wounds. One witness said he saw the high schooler “hold his stomach and collapse” after seeing two white males chase him.
Prosecutors argued that the five accused “acted collectively” during the killing and jurors heard that the group “left the victim to die in the street.”
Prosecutors said the men and the juveniles behaved “like a pack, chasing down their prey”.
One 15-year-old allegedly stabbed Reid in a “revenge attack” for events that remain unclear. Khan is said to have driven the group to “hunt him down”.
Reid’s family issued the following statement after his death:
“We’d like to thank the emergency services for their diligence and support … and the public for their outpouring of love and support throughout this tragic and challenging time. This loss not only affects us but everyone Dea-John knew. We have lost a son, his siblings have lost a brother and others have lost a friend. The passing of this incredibly talented young boy will be felt by us all.”
As reported by The Guardian, Prosecutor Richard Wormald QC said: “The evidence you are about to hear shows that acting as a group, they went to look for Dea-John Reid and after finding him in a park in Kingstanding, chased and caught up with him. He was then stabbed in the chest.”
“The prosecution’s case is that all five are responsible for his murder because the evidence quite clearly shows that all five acted together. They acted collectively,” Wormald continued.
“It can be inferred from the evidence that all must have intended to cause Dea-John serious harm, and each knew when they began their pursuit of him that such harm was likely.”
The trial is expected to last up to eight weeks.
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