The trial into Jodie Chesney's murder has ended for the day.

The jury has been sent home.

Crispin Aylett QC will continue his prosecution opening tomorrow.

We will bring you the latest updates from 10:15 BST.

Manuel Petrovic said he was "saddened" to hear of 17-year-old Jodie Chesney's death, a court hears.

Text messages containing references to "rocket fuel" and "strawdawg", sent by Mr Petrovic, were shown to the jurors.

Mr Aylett told jurors all four of the defendants were, in different ways and to greater or lesser extents, involved in the supply of drugs.

The court then heard a statement from Mark Wright, a former police officer with many years of experience in investigating cases involving the supply of drugs.

Mr Wright said the texts from Mr Petrovic referred to the supply of cocaine and cannabis - cocaine being "rocket fuel".

"Strawdawg" is a potent brand of skunk-cannabis and two grams were being offered for £20 (‘a score’), Mr Aylett explained.

"On 1 March, we see the constant comings-and-goings of the first two defendants as they were out-and-about selling drugs," Mr Aylett said.

The fourth defendant had also been at the at the property in Dagenham, Mr Aylett told jurors.

Like Mr Ong-a-Kwie, he had tried to get away from the police.

After being talked down from the roof of the garage, the 17-year-old had been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

In a statement he told police: “I did not know that Svenson Ong-a-Kwie was wanted by the police.

"I believe that Svenson Ong-a-Kwie did not know himself that he was wanted by the police. There was nothing in his behaviour to suggest he was wanted.

"When the police arrived, I was smoking a joint and initially thought it was a drugs raid so I run out the back door.

"I gave myself up to police as I realised I hadn’t done anything."

He was released on bail.

When the fourth defendant was arrested on 10 March, among the items seized from him was a distinctive woolen hat with stitched-in goggles.

When he was released the following day, the hat had been returned to him.

The hat is significant as CCTV cameras next door to Mr Ong-a-Kwie’s hostel captured two males getting out of a car at 20:51 on 1 March, the jurors were told.

Mr Aylett told the court one of the men was evidently Svenson Ong-a-Kwie – who was then picked up by a CCTV camera at the hostel as he went inside.

The other male waited outside on the pavement. He can be seen to be wearing a woolen hat with stitched-in goggles.

"This, then, would have been less than half-an-hour before the murder of Jodie", Mr Aylett said.

The fourth defendant was charged with the murder of Jodie Chesney on 26 May.

At around 19.25 on 10 March, police officers went to a property in Dagenham in east London, the jury heard.

The officers became aware of a commotion coming from the back of the house.

One policeman shouted out, “Around the back”, the court was told.

At this point, the lean of the roof gave way and Mr Ong-a-Kwie, who had climbed out of a first floor window, fell through it, Mr Aylett said.

He was arrested for the murder of Jodie Chesney, to which he replied: “Murder? I ain’t done a murder.”

Following police interviews, to which he replied "no comment" to all questions, he was charged with the murder of Jodie.

Mr Aylett told jurors that on 10 March, police officers went to a hostel in Romford in order to arrest Svenson Ong-a-Kwie. However, he was not there.

Officers searched the 19-year-old's bedroom and discovered a knife - but prosecutors are not in a position to allege the knife was used to murder Jodie at this time, the court heard.

Mr Aylett stressed the discovery of the knife proved Mr Ong-a-Kwie was in possession of a knife or knives in his room.

It was also discovered he had been "out and about" around the time of Jodie's death.

Image source, Julia Quenzler

The jury has returned back from lunch.

Crispin Aylett QC continues with the prosecution opening.

He will begin the afternoon session by telling jurors of the arrest of the third defendant, Svenson Ong-a-Kwie, 19.

Sarah Lee
BBC London

Before lunch, jurors heard how the second defendant, aged 16, was arrested after he was spotted on CCTV with Mr Petrovic.

During police interviews, the suspect said in a statement that he denied murder, the court was told.

"I did not stab Jodie Chesney. I was not in the park area at St Neot's Road, Harold Hill on the evening of 1 March 2019.

"I was not at the scene of this murder. I was not involved in this murder. At this point, I've nothing else to add or mention."

He continued to reply "no comment" to all other questions asked to him by police.

At 20:00 on 10 March, the teenager was charged with the murder of Jodie Chesney.

Danny Shaw
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

In the most serious crimes, where the evidence is complex and may take some time, it is standard practice for defendants to be represented by two barristers.

The aim is to spread the workload, minimise mistakes, speed up proceedings and ensure that if one lawyer is unavailable the other one can step in.

In the most serious cases, a QC will be appointed to lead the prosecution or defence. QC stands for ‘Queen’s Counsel’.

It is an honour given to senior barristers who have served for a long time and demonstrated their experience by covering a range of cases.

A QC is also colloquially referred to as a ‘silk’.

In this case:

• Manuel Petrovic is represented by Sarah Forshaw QC and Alastair Smith
• Svenson Ong-a-Kwie is represented by Charlie Sherrard QC and Rhiannon Crimmins
• The 16-year-old boy is represented by Louise Sweet QC and George Page
• The 17-year-old boy is represented by Natasha Wong QC and Valeria Swift

The trial is now taking a break for lunch.

Image source, PA Media

Mr Aylett pauses to tell jurors that the telephone data for all of the known numbers that can be linked to the four defendants do not show any such call having been made.

He continues to read Mr Petrovic's statement.

“Man A and Man B were gone for approximately two to five minutes. I drove to the end of the road and Man A and Man B were waiting there. Man A and Man B seemed calm. There was nothing unusual about their behavior. Nothing about them made me suspicious. I did not see either of them carrying anything. My friend and I were told that Man A was collecting money and drugs.

“We drove back towards Collier Row and dropped Man A and Man B off. My friend and I visited another friend in Collier Row. I pulled up outside his house and was with him for approximately 10 minutes.

"I believe I headed home for a short while. My friend then received a call from a customer to buy some cannabis.

"I was a bit wary as the call came from a private number. I told my friend to ask the person to call back from his number. He said that he was using his mum’s number and would be waiting on the road near the New Inn pub.

“As I pulled up [in Gidea Park], a black male approached the car and put a knife to my throat. He took the keys out of the ignition.”

“He asked where the stuff was. I replied, ‘What stuff?’ I then said it was in the boot – hoping he would walk towards the boot which would give me the chance to run.

"He told me to get out and open the boot. At this point another male appeared.

"He had a hood on so I couldn’t recognise him. I believe he robbed my friend. He took his phone and his money. I then ran off.

"As I ran off, I realised that my friend was still either in or near the car. I then walked back towards the car to help him."

The statement is continuing to be read out by Mr Aylett.

He adds: “Unfortunately, due to my own safety and the safety of my family I will not be naming anyone that I was with that evening. Since this incident occurred, some people have already been to my house looking for me.

“On Friday 1 March 2019, I was with my friend for most of the day. At around 21:00, he received a call from someone he knows, I will refer to him as ‘Man A’. I believe we were outside my house at the time of this call. Man A asked my friend if we could give him a lift. My friend and I drove and picked up Man A. This took two, three to four minutes. When we got there, Man A was with another man who I will refer to as ‘Man B’. At that point, my friend got into the back of the car.

“Man A sat in the front and Man B sat in the back with my friend. Man A told me he needed to go and collect some weed and some money. He asked me to drive towards Harold Hill. He did not specify the exact location. It took approximately 10 minutes to get there. I drove along the A12 to get there. There was music being played along the journey. En route, I believe I may have made some calls and received some text messages. My call records will show this activity.

“When we got to Harold Hill, Man A directed me where to pull up. I believe we pulled up near St. Neot’s Road. Man A and B got out of the car. Man A told me to turn the car around in the meantime and that he would be back shortly. My friend and I remained in the vehicle. I believe I may have received some calls, texts while we were waiting in the car.

"At this point I would like to add that I was carrying a quantity of cannabis on me. This was to sell, as and when, I received calls/texts messages. Some of the calls and texts to me on that evening will relate to the sale of cannabis.

“I drove to the end of the road and turned the car around. While waiting the lights and engine was off. There was no sinister reason for this. I believe my friend received a call for us to come to the end of the road."

Manuel Petrovic was told of new evidence about his whereabouts on the night of Jodie’s murder and the arrest of the second defendant.

Mr Petrovic answered no comment to questions put to him and after a 20 minute break with his solicitor, a lengthy statement was given, the court has heard.

Mr Aylett has started to read out the statement.

He said: "I have now been interviewed on four separate occasions and would like to take this opportunity to clarify various issues that have arisen.

"I own the black Vauxhall Corsa registration number NL07 DYX. My mum gave me the money to buy the car.

“2398 is my number. The last time I used that number was in a Nokia phone. This number was used as a drug line to sell cannabis. I had in excess of 200 numbers on this phone.

“I was robbed at knifepoint in the late hours of 1 March 2019 near the New Inn pub. The police are under the impression that I have made this up to distance myself from events that occurred on 1 March at Amy’s Park. This is not the case as the robbery occurred later that evening.

"I will now try to explain my version of events to the best of my ability…From the outset, I would like to say that I have no involvement in the murder of Jodie Chesney.

"I am deeply saddened by her death and feel for her friends and family.

"A young life has been taken away in what seems to be an unprovoked attack on an innocent girl who had her whole life ahead of her."

Mr Aylett has started to describe details of the arrest of the second defendant - who cannot be named for legal reasons.

He said officers found the teenager in bed and arrested him on the suspicion of the murder of Jodie Chesney.

Mr Aylett says: "He replied 'How? How? I don’t know anything about it.'

"The boy’s mother turned on her son and said that she had warned him about the people he’d been hanging around with."

Mr Petrovic was interviewed in the presence of a solicitor at a police station in London.

Jurors heard a prepared statement was given which read:

“I was arrested yesterday on suspicion of the murder of Jodie Chesney which occurred on Friday 1 March 2019. I have nothing to do with this murder. On 1 March, I was a victim of a knife-point robbery in which my car was stolen. I reported this via 101. The full record of my complaint is available to the police. The whole incident should be on CCTV. Due to the limited disclosure provided to my solicitor, I will be exercising my right to silence.”

Three further interviews were carried out by police - to which Mr Petrovic answered no comment to the questions asked.

Mr Petrovic was arrested on 5 March in Leicester, the court has heard.

Mr Aylett said on that day Mr Petrovic’s sister Jalena Miskovic rang police in Leicestershire to say her brother was in Leicester.

He adds: "Petrovic said that he was afraid for his own safety and he was not going to go back to Romford."

Mr Aylett adds police now knew where Mr Petrovic was and he was arrested at his sister's house.

He adds: "Asked if he wanted to say anything, Petrovic replied, 'No, not really'.”

Jurors have been told that at about 15:45 Petrovic rang the police again.

Mr Aylett said there he told an operator that he had been on his way to Romford police station when he had been assaulted.

He said that he had been punched in the face twice.

"The operator asked if he wanted to cancel his appointment at the police station," said Mr Aylett.

Mr Petrovic asked if he could send a witness statement by e-mail instead, but he was told that any statement would have to be taken by police officer.

"Like the police," Mr Aylett says. "I imagine, you may have had some difficulty in following all of this.

"Two things are clear: Petrovic did not go to the police station and he did go to Leicester.

"As to whether he was assaulted only once (by a white man outside the betting shop) or a second time by a black male; and if he was assaulted a second time, whether the black male was, indeed, the person who had taken his car keys or whether it was somebody else, I suggest that you keep an open mind."

Mr Aylett says at the same time Mr Petrovic's sister was making this call, he was in a William Hill shop on Gobions Avenue, Collier Row.

"Playing the fixed odds betting machines," Mr Aylett says. "He won three times: first £700, then £800 and, finally, £1,200 - £2,700 in all.

"At about 14:15, as he was leaving the betting-shop, a CCTV camera picked up Petrovic being assaulted by a heavily-built white male.

"It is apparent both from the CCTV film and from the account of a member of staff at William Hill who saw something of what took place on the pavement, that, after assaulting Petrovic, the white male appeared to be lecturing him about something.

After this CCTV footage is played to the jury Mr Aylett adds that "all the same, the police do not know who this man was or what this was all about."

At about 13:15 on Monday 4 March, Mr Petrovic’s sister Jalena rang the police to see if the police could come to Leicester where she lives to follow up on her brother's stolen car, the court has heard.

Mr Aylett adds: "She was aware that her brother was meant to be seeing the police on 7 March, but she wanted her brother to come and stay with her in Leicester.

"Jalena asked if the police could come to Leicester to see him.

"Jalena was advised that Petrovic should go and see the police in London before travelling to Leicester."

Just as Mr Aylett finishes this point, the teenage defendant, who was earlier feeling unwell, has now returned to the dock.