Man stabbed to death outside Bodmin nightclub was 'trying to break up fight', court hears
A man who was stabbed to death in Bodmin was trying to break up a fight involving a man accused of killing him, a court has heard.
Michael Riddiough-Allen, 32, died outside a nightclub in the town on 30 April last year.
Jake Hill, 25, and friends, Tia Taylor and Chelsea Powell, both 22, deny the charges against them, including murder and attempted murder.
In a written statement defendant Jake Hill’s ex-girlfriend told the court how Jake Hill had drunk a bottle of Disaronno and took a mix of pregabalin medicine and sleeping pills before going out that night.
The court heard in a witness statemt how the 25-year-old had bought a five-inch hunting knife from a friend on the 28th April, the day before the defendants and victims went out clubbing, after it was originally purchased from an army surplus stall on the 22nd April.
Footage was released to the court today (31 January) showing defendant Jake Hill after leaving the eclipse night club in the early hours of 30 April.
The prosecution alleges the taxi dashcam footage shows Hill returning to the hedge where they say he hid his weapon a couple hours earlier.
It was minutes later when the fellow defendants Tia Taylor, identified by the pink marker in the CCTV, and Chelsea Powell, identified by the blue marker in the CCTV, came to find him.
Watch CCTV footage showing all three defendants in the morning of the attack
All three then allegedly joined in with a fight down the road and where Michael Riddiough-Allen died.
In court today, the first witness talked about coming out of the club and seeing Michael Riddiough-Allen being the 'mediator' trying to break up the fight “and not make it worse”.
He also described seeing Jake Hill, known by the nickname 'P head', with the knife - partly serrated like a bread knife - being held by his side.
Another witness said after the fight Jake Hill’s tracksuit was blood-stained was allegedly telling people to “keep [their] mouths shut”.
Hill, of Jubilee Terrace, Bodmin, Cornwall, denies a total of 12 charges, including one count of murder and the alternative of manslaughter, three counts of attempted murder and the alternative of wounding with intent, and two charges of wounding with intent and the alternative of unlawful wounding.
Taylor, of Northey Road, Bodmin, denies three charges – one count of murder and the alternative of manslaughter, and one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Powell, of Granny’s Green, Bodmin, denies the same three charges as Taylor.
The trial continues and is expected to last six weeks.