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Martin Dinnegan |
Schoolboy’s ‘Help me’ plea before fatal attack
Parents see CCTV footage of chase that led to street stabbing
SCHOOLBOY Martin Dinnegan’s desperate flight from a baying mob before he was brutally killed was watched by a murder trial jury this week.
The 14-year-old was unarmed and alone when he was caught on CCTV in Holloway on June 26 last year, the Old Bailey heard.
He was hounded for 300 yards by a gang on cycles and a moped before being trapped at the top of Axminster Road, where he was repeatedly stabbed in the back, said prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee, QC.
Eye-witnesses saw him looking behind him as he ran and shouting “Please help me,” moments before he was attacked.
A jury of seven women and five men watched the CCTV footage while Martin’s parents, Lorraine and James, also looked on. Martin, who attended St Aloysius College in Archway, lived with his parents, two sisters and three brothers in Evershot Road, Finsbury Park.
Knife carrying by youngsters was responsible for the senseless murder, said the QC.
Martin and five friends had been on a bus when they saw a group of youths on cycles. An exchange of “dirty looks and pulling faces” escalated into confrontation.
Local resident Thomas Morgan was with his girlfriend Rachel Barry when he saw Martin running for his life. He told the jury this week that a hooded youth on a bike was in pursuit and moments later Martin was attacked by up to 20 young men.
Another eye-witness, Jeremy Wright, said: “I heard some shouting and saw a lot of people in the street. A white youth was running. He was wearing a grey tracksuit.”
Mr Wright said he discovered later that it was Martin being pursued by a youth about six feet tall who caught up and landed heavy punches with both hands to the face.
“They would hurt,” he added. “Martin fell back against a fence like a boxer against the ropes. Another youth came in and punched Martin two or three times in the face.
“Martin retaliated with a couple of punches of his own to the body. Martin went into the middle of the road. I saw a third youth run up incredibly quickly. He came out of nowhere. Martin didn’t know he was coming. The third youth landed quite wild blows, in a windmill fashion like hooks to his upper torso.
“Martin turned and squared up to him momentarily and clenched his fists in a ‘come on’ stance. I saw his jaw drop and his face become ashen and he fell to the floor.”
Two of the four accused, aged 16 and 17, cannot be named by court order as they are juveniles.
They are from Islington and are in the dock with Sean Clark, 19, from Bennett Court, Axminster Road, Holloway, and Rene John-Baptiste, 21, from Plaistow, east London. All deny a murder count.
The trial continues. The case is expected to last until mid-July. |
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