Defendant in attempted murder trial says he took knife for 'protection'

A teenager accused of attempted murder told Jersey's Royal Court today he was terrified of the alleged victim due to a drugs debt.

Alex De Jesus is charged with attempted murder, whilst two other defendants who can't be named for legal reasons are charged with grave and criminal assault. All deny the charges.

The court had previously heard the 19-year-old victim suffered ‘life-threatening’ and ‘life-changing’ injuries, after he was stabbed on January 9 last year.Mr De Jesus took to the stand today, and told the court about the night of the alleged attack.

He told the court he and the victim knew each other first from school and that Mr De Jesus would “regularly” buy cannabis off him.

He alleges that after he ran out of money, the victim would give the drugs to him with the understanding he would be paid back.

Mr De Jesus told the court he ran up a debt of around £1,500 and couldn't pay it back and so the victim allegedly started threatening him and was offering Mr De Jesus's friends a cash reward for his address. The victim allegedly said he was going to kill him and his parents unless the debt was settled.

Mr De Jesus told the court: “He would kill me if I did not pay back the debt”

“I was terrified”

“He sent pictures of my mum and dad and said he would kill them”

19 year old Mr De Jesus says he didn't want to go to the police for fear of trouble because he was buying drugs and didn't want to tell his parents because he owed so much money.

He told the court it was the victim who arranged for them to meet up and he and a friend had planned to take knives in his words "only for their protection".

He denied that there was violence planned at the meet up and he only went to the estate to ask for more time to pay off the debt.

Mr De Jesus is expected to return to the stand on Monday and evidence from the other defendants next week as well as more witnesses.

The trial continues.