An 18 year old from Smethwick has been acquitted of West Bromwich murder following a trial at Bolton Crown Court.

The defendant was represented by Gurdeep Garcha K.C. leading Sunit Sandhu (Equity Chambers, Birmingham) – instructed by Ranbir Mann of Mann & Co Solicitors

The defendant who was 17 year old at the time was jointly charged with robbery and murder alongside a 13 year old. It was the prosecution case that the pair robbed a young man at knifepoint in Cape Hill, Smethwick on the afternoon of the day in question. 

It is said that this incident was the catalyst for the incident in West Bromwich later that evening. Following an altercation the deceased was stabbed through the heart and died at the scene.

The defendant denied that he was armed with a knife prior to the incident. Whilst he accepted inflicting the fatal injury, it was his case that he did so in lawful self-defence, when the deceased attacked him with a machete that he was carrying. 

Following very careful analysis of the eyewitness evidence and CCTV and thereafter cross-examination of the police officer who had collated the footage by Mr Garcha K.C, which demonstrated the true nature of the altercation; the prosecution agreed not to pursue the murder charge any further. The jury were directed to return a not guilty verdict. 

Both defendants pleaded guilty to robbery and manslaughter, thereby acknowledging that notwithstanding the fact that the deceased was armed and acting aggressively, the killing was unlawful.