Teen dragged from taxi and killed in 'barbaric' drugs war murder, court told

Jamie Meah, 18, was savagely attacked by the gang, which was heard to say: "You better tell your boys."

Ranei Wilks, 23, is accused of murdering Jamie and inuring pal Kayne Priestley, 16, with a large "three-to-four-foot sword". He was been part of a gang that got out of a waiting Mercedes and then attacked the pair, Leeds Crown Court was told.

Wilks denies murder and attempted murder, along with two counts of possessing a bladed article. Three other suspects remain at large and are thought to be in hiding abroad.

Prosecuting, Imran Shafi KC said Wilks and Jamie had worked for rival gangs selling drugs in the Leeds area.

On March 31 2023, Jamie and Kayne had taken a taxi to deliver drugs to various locations across Leeds, before eventually arriving at Hall Lane in Armley.

Shortly before 5.30pm, Kayne got out of the taxi to approach a customer, but then noticed the silver Mercedes parked up, so ran back to the taxi.

Three males then got out of the Mercedes, one with the sword, while the driver remained behind the wheel.

The taxi driver heard one of the passengers shout "don't stab me" before they were both dragged out and stabbed, kicked and punched repeatedly.

Mr Shafi said Jamie and Kayne were "subjected to a vicious and barbaric assault" before they fled the scene.

Jamie ran to a nearby house and asked for an ambulance to be called, but lost consciousness before paramedics arrived and was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.

It was later found that a stab wound to his leg had severed the femoral artery, causing catastrophic injuries. Kayne fled to a nearby fish and chip shop where he received help and was later treated for his injuries.

The fingerprints of Wilks and the other suspects were found in the Mercedes which was abandoned in Bradford days later.

Mr Wilks was only arrested around a year later after landing at Leeds Bradford Airport from a flight from Turkey.

The three other suspects in the killing - Aquade Jeffers, Caleb Awe and Enham Nishat - remain at large, despite numerous appeals to locate them by West Yorkshire Police.

A baseball cap found at the scene of the murder was forensically matched to Caleb Awe.

The court heard Wilks admits he was in a Mercedes, but claims he had no knowledge of the attack that was about to happen, and had remained in the car throughout.

Defence barrister Louise Blackwell KC said: "He was in that car with people that he knew, one he had been to school with. He had no idea of any knife being in that car."

She said he accepted there was a "degree of drugs being delivered" by the group in the Mercedes but Wilks had no involvement.

Explaining why he left the UK with the others, Ms Blackwell said: "He was shocked by what he had seen happen. He stayed with the group through fear. He denies any knowledge of any knife or anybody having a knife. He did not leave the car and definitely did not use a knife."

Wilks is accused of murder, attempted murder and possession of a knife on the the night of the murder. He is also charged with possession of a knife from an incident in July 2022, when a car was stopped with Wilks riding as the passenger. On the passenger side, a large knife was recovered.

Ms Blackwell said that again, Wilks, had no knowledge of the knife being in the car. The trial, expected to last two weeks, continues.