Jury shown footage of murder-accused kicking boyfriend before alleged stabbing in Newcastle flat
A jury has been shown footage of a student appearing to be kicked by his boyfriend minutes before he was allegedly stabbed to death inside his flat.
Aaron Ray is accused of murdering Jason Brockbanks in his student flat in Newcastle.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Ray turned on Mr Brockbanks, who is from Whitehaven, after scrolling through intimate messages he had sent to other men.
The 21-year-old Sunderland man denies murder.
Mr Brockbanks, 24, was found dead in a shower cubicle in his flat at the Mansion Tyne accommodation block in Newcastle last September.
On the opening day of the trial, the court heard he had been lying there for three days before he was found.
Jurors were shown on 14 March, CCTV of the Mr Brockbanks and Ray out together in Newcastle city centre on the night he was allegedly killed.
Footage shows Mr Brockbanks sitting on Ray’s knee as they waited for a taxi. They were then seen walking back together after 3am after visiting a number of bars and at points holding hands.
After they arrive back at Mr Brockbanks’ student accommodation, the footage appears to show Ray kicking out at his alleged victim as he sat on a low wall by the door to the block.
The pair were then seen heading in together before the accused is seen leaving the accommodation block alone after 4am and waking to get a taxi from Newcastle station.
The court heard about messages sent by the defendant.
In one exchange, he told a friend "I'm in trouble xxx".
That person replied "Why wot you done" before Ray replied "Just ring me".
The court was told about other messages allegedly sent in Russian to someone else trying to arrange going to Siberia.
When he was asked about whether his boyfriend would mind him going to Siberia, he replied “I don’t have a boyfriend”.
Ray denies murder. The jury has been told he claimed his alleged victim had attacked him.
The trial continues.
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