Youth stabbed dead ‘target of teen hate club’

Michael “Angel” Graham was mortally wounded after being stabbed 12 times in the back by a 16-year-old armed with a flick knife that had been bought by an older friend earlier that day, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The teenager and seven others surrounded Mr Graham, 19, and a 17-year-old friend at around 11.30pm in Foreshore Road on April 13, the murder trial has been told.

Mr Graham’s friend has told the jury he was also wounded in the knee during the fatal violence, as he rushed to help his friend who was stabbed while on his knees during the brawl.

The teenager accused of murder had also been a friend of Mr Graham but the pair fell out after the younger boy was taunted for sleeping with a 12-year-old girl, it has been alleged.

Now 17, the accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has told the jury he rounded up his friends that night because he feared he was going to be “hunted down” and “sliced up” with knives by Mr Graham and his friends.

But Tim Roberts QC, prosecuting, said text messages showed from the outset that Mr Graham had challenged the defendant to a fair fight, with no weapons or “back up”.

The defendant, who has already claimed he had not meant to stab the victim and could not remember taking the knife from his pocket, said he had not believed Mr Graham would meet him unarmed or alone.

He told the court he also thought he would lose a one-to-one fight with the older, taller teenager anyway, even though they were well matched physically.

Mr Roberts said: “Can I suggest that’s why you armed yourself with that vicious knife? To give you the edge?”

The accused replied: “For safety.”

He went on to claim Mr Graham had a “Chapeltown Gang” and had spoken of stabbing someone previously.

The teenager had told the court on Monday he had wanted to flee when he saw Mr Graham on the seafront.

Then, as Mr Graham brawled with another man, he “just flipped and saw red” and began punching him, not realising he had the knife in his hand.

But Mr Roberts maintained yesterday the defendant was carrying the knife to “reap revenge” on Mr Graham – who had been “defenceless” and did not even know his attacker was behind him.

Mr Roberts said the teenager sent a text to his girlfriend after the killing, which read: “Stabbed Angel 12 times. Love you loads. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.”

He said the other teenagers called into Scarborough that night had all had trouble with Mr Graham or had fallen out with them.

“It was like the ‘Michael Graham Hate Club’,” he added.

“You had a large group with you who all disliked him and a knife in your pocket you had bought that day.

“The motivation for your stabbing of Michael Graham in the back was revenge upon him.

“It was revenge for having called him nasty names in text messages and suggesting people in Scarborough would have a low opinion of you because of what you had done.”

The teenager replied: “It inflamed my anger. But I did not want to seek revenge on Angel. It was a chance meeting on that night.”

Angel – who had been living in Scarborough but had links to Chapeltown, Leeds – died from multiple wounds to his back shortly after the incident on April 13.

The accused denies murder.

An order has been made banning identification of anyone else involved in the case – because of their ages - apart from the dead man.

The trial is due to continue today.