Murder trial told witness to fatal stabbing saw teen 'pull out knife in an instant'

MAN, WHO WAS AGED 17 AT THE TIME, DENIES THE CHARGE

- By MARTIN NAYLOR

WITNESSES to a fatal stabbing which saw an 18-year-old die on the street later told police the teenager on trial for his murder “gave a big smile” and “pulled out his knife in an instant

The prosecution also said the accused Charlie Hartle told detectives himself “I accept responsibility for inflicting the injury on Noah Smedley”.

Hartle, who was aged 17 at the time he thrust the Rambo-style knife into Mr Smedley’s chest in Ilkeston, is on trial for murder at Derby Crown Court. The now-18-year-old denies the charge.

Opening the prosecution’s case on Monday, Adrian Langdale KC said the stabbing happened in Rose Avenue, off Heanor Road, at around 8.15pm on December 28, last year.

He said Hartle and three friends had gone to buy some cannabis off Mr Smedley, who had arrived at the scene on his e-scooter before the defendant moved forwards and stabbed his victim once in the presence of the other boys before running away.

The prosecutor said one of the friends who went to the scene later said: “Charlie looked at Noah. He pulled up his balaclava at the time.

“We didn’t realise anything was gonna happen and they just stared at each other for about one second. It was not really, like, a stare that you should be concerned about. It was a stare where they just looked at each other by a glance, really. And that’s when it happened, he pulled out his knife in an instant, and just stabbed Noah with it.”