Ryan Passey murder trial: Fatal nightclub stabbing was an accident, court hears

Kobe Murray, of The Broadway, Dudley, claimed he had taken the knife off his friend Bradley Hackett, to whom it belonged, ‘because it was a stupid thing to have in there.’

The 19-year-old said that he was then punched by Ryan Passey and inadvertently stabbed him as he pushed him away forcefully with both hands.

He told Birmingham Crown Court: “I felt the knife go in.”

Asked why he had pushed Mr Passey, who was unknown to him, he said: “To get that person as far away as I could.” Asked whether he intended to stab or seriously injure him, he reply ‘no’.

More from the Ryan Passey murder trial:

• Man denies getting rid of suspect’s clothes

• Amateur footballer was killed after 'trivial' altercation

• Accused had no injuries after Stourbridge stabbing, court hears

• Jury hear of son's emotional confession in phone call

Murray fled Chicago’s with Bradley Hackett and another friend Ethan Jones who drove them to the defendant’s house.

Murray asked him to pull into a side road on the way where he ditched the knife in bushes, the court heard.

He said he shouted at Bradley, demanding to know what he was doing with the knife. "He said: ‘I’m sorry, it’s all my fault’.”

Murray added: “I didn’t mean to do it. I stabbed him.” He said Bradley told him he needed to ‘get rid of’ his phone and clothes and offered to do that for him.

Panic

The pair were dropped off at Murray’s house in The Broadway, Dudley, where he changed.

Emerging from the house minutes later, he gave his jeans, top and shoes to Mr Hackett who later burned them on Sedgley Beacon.

Murray said he then went to Wren’s Nest Natures Reserve where he spent the night ‘thinking and walking around’. Asked by defence barrister Mr James House, QC, about his state of mind, he replied: “I can’t even explain – shock, panic, everything.”

He told the jury that the knife belonged to Bradley who had bought it a week earlier at DAI Leisure, near Merry Hill. He had given his friend a lift to the store and said Bradley told him the knife was for his granddad to use for fishing.

Earlier Mr Hackett had told the court he had bought the knife on behalf of Murray because his friend did not have the necessary ID. But in the dock, Murray said he always had his driving licence on him because he was ‘baby-faced’ and often asked for ID.

Murray claimed he had been persuaded by Bradley and Ethan to go to Chicago’s that night and had only drank two small bottles of Magnum tonic wine.

Accidental

He said they bumped into some friends inside the club and became aware of pushing between one of them and a member of Mr Passey’s group, and punches were then thrown.

He said he stepped forward to intervene and was himself punched.

“I’ve turned, I’ve been hit, Bradley Hackett’s there on my right side, he has a knife in his hand, I took it off him,” said Murray.

He told the jury he was punched for a second time and pushed as hard as he could to fend off further attack, accidentally stabbing Mr Passey as he did so.

Murray denies murdering 24-year-old Mr Passey, of Quarry Bank, at the Rye Market club in the early hours of August 6 last year.

The trial continues.