Footballer murder accused says 'I'm not the killer'

Cody Fisher had played for a number of clubs in the Midlands

A man accused of murdering footballer Cody Fisher has told a court he is "not the killer".

Remy Gordon, Kami Carpenter and 19-year-old Reegan Anderson deny killing Mr Fisher during a fight at Birmingham's Crane nightclub on Boxing Day 2022.

Mr Gordon, 23, of Cofton Park Drive in the city, told Birmingham Crown Court he had kicked the victim, but Mr Carpenter later admitted stabbing Mr Fisher.

All three accused also deny affray. The trial, which has been adjourned until 19 February, continues.

Mr Gordon told the court a confrontation occurred with Mr Fisher as he crossed the dancefloor to leave the club.

Telling jurors he had been punched and then kicked Mr Fisher while he was on the ground, the murder accused said: "I think he was on the floor.

"At the time I thought he was knocked out."

Mr Gordon said ambulances had not arrived by the time he left the club from where he travelled to a pizza shop in the Northfield area.

He said it was there that he found out the victim had been stabbed and his co-defendant confessed.

He said he did not know Mr Carpenter had brought a knife into the venue and insisted he did not encourage others to assault Mr Fisher.

Mr Fisher died at Crane nightclub in 2022

Mr Carpenter, 22, of no fixed address, arrived at the takeaway wearing different clothes to those he had on at the nightclub, the court heard.

Mr Gordon, who had read social media posts about the fight, told the jury: "I just asked him [Carpenter] about the rumours and he wasn't really giving me straight answers.

"I asked him why he was in different clothes and then he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Then I asked him what had happened and then he kind of admitted to me what he had done. He said he stabbed him."

'Shank him up'

Questioned about Snapchat messages in which he suggested Mr Carpenter should surrender himself "and own up to what he did," Mr Gordon said: "I just hoped that the investigation would have been done and that the truth would come out - that I am not the killer and he actually killed him."

Earlier in his evidence, Mr Gordon was questioned about online threats he made towards Mr Fisher, including a post saying he was due to "shank him up".

He told jurors was "just a figure of speech" and he did not mean literally.

The accused also said he was not attempting to disguise himself when he wore a mask while entering the club, telling the jury: "It's just fashion and it's winter."

Mr Fisher, a former Birmingham City academy player who also played for Stratford Town and Bromsgrove Sporting, died at the scene.

Jurors have heard the 23-year-old from Redditch was stabbed in the chest and thigh.