Dealer fatally stabbed with own knife, trial told

Robert Tyler-Jones was stabbed on 23 April, a jury has been told

A cannabis dealer was fatally stabbed at the flat of an associate who he had joked about robbing, a prosecutor has told a trial.

Robert Tyler-Jones, 24, of Northaw in Hertfordshire, was wounded with a kitchen knife he had armed himself with on 23 April.

Kieran Roche, 30, of Station Road, Cuffley, Hertfordshire, disarmed Mr Tyler-Jones during an altercation at his flat and stabbed him three times, barrister Nathan Rasiah KC told St Albans Crown Court.

Mr Roche denies unlawfully killing Mr Tyler-Jones - and has also pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter.

'Go rob him'

Mr Rasiah, who is leading the prosecution team, said Mr Tyler-Jones told a friend that Mr Roche had stolen two bags of cannabis from ''a woman or a girl''.

He said Mr Tyler-Jones, a former warehouse worker, had bought one bag from the defendant for £700 and wanted to buy the second.

A few days before he died, Mr Tyler-Jones had joked that he could ''go rob'' Mr Roche.

On 23 April he armed himself with a kitchen knife and drove to Mr Roche's flat, Mr Rasiah told jurors.

Kieran Roche is on trial at St Albans Crown Court and denies unlawful killing

''He went armed with a kitchen knife in the waistband of his trousers,'' Mr Rasiah told a jury.

''Only he can say why.''

Mr Rasiah added ''it appears he believed Kieran Roche might not be willing to sell him that second bag of cannabis''.

A CCTV camera caught Mr Tyler-Jones walking towards Mr Roche's flat, then three minutes later, stumbling out, clutching his side, jurors were told.

'Disarmed'

Mr Rasiah said Mr Tyler-Jones suffered stab wounds to his abdomen and chest and died shortly afterwards.

Mr Roche, who had been a customer of the dead man, suffered a cut to his hand and gave ''no comment'' answers when questioned by police, jurors were told.

''There was a physical altercation, during which Kieran Roche disarmed Robert Tyler-Jones of that knife," the prosecution said.

''Thereafter Kieran Roche used the knife to inflict three stab wounds.''

Mr Rasiah said Mr Tyler-Jones was committing an offence in taking the knife to Mr Roche's address and Mr Roche had a right to defend himself.

But Mr Rasiah said the question was, once Mr Roche had the knife, to what extent did he need to defend himself?

The trial continues and is expected to end later this month.