I can't believe I witnessed my own brother stabbed

SIBLING GIVES EMOTIONAL EVIDENCE TO MURDER TRIAL AS ACCUSED TEENAGER ADMITS POSSESSING KNIFE

- ANDREW BARDSLEY

THE brother of an 18-year-old student has spoken out during the trial of a teenager charged with his murder.

The 17-year-old defendant, who can't be named for legal reasons, denies murder and manslaughter but has now admitted being in possession of a combat knife before the death of Abdikarim Abdalla Ahmed in Bury town centre.

He was stabbed once to the chest at the entrance to the Mill Gate shopping centre on a Friday afternoon.

Prosecutors told how Mr Ahmed had been punched by a friend of the defendant earlier that afternoon, and he and his brother had gone in search of those responsible.

The defendant, from Bolton, is expected to say he was acting in self-defence after Mr Ahmed threw a punch at him. His change of plea came as Mr Ahmed's brother told how he witnessed his sibling being stabbed in front of him.

Jurors at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard that the defendant wished to change his plea to a count of having an article with a blade or point in public, which he'd previously denied.