Summary

  • Day 10 of the trial of four people accused of murdering Jodie Chesney, 17.

  • Jodie's boyfriend had described catching her after the stabbing

  • Jodie was stabbed to death while with friends in Harold Hill 1 March

  • Manuel Petrovic, 20, and Svenson Ong-a-kwie, 19, deny murder

  • Two boys aged 16 and 17, also deny killing Jodie

  1. Sick juror - so court stops for todaypublished at 14:27 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    During the lunch break one of the 12 jurors has passed a note to Judge Wendy Joseph QC saying they are unwell.

    The judge has adjourned the case until 10:00 BST on Wednesday, 2 October, when it will resume at the Old Bailey.

  2. Court breaks for lunchpublished at 13:16 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Judge Wendy Joseph QC warns the teenager not to speak to anyone over the course of the lunch break and the 17-year-old boy will re-take the witness stand after lunch.

    Everybody has left courtroom eight and the trial will resume at 14:05 BST.

  3. 'I deleted Spencer's number when he was charged with murder'published at 13:12 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Crime sceneImage source, PA Media

    After Svenson Ong-a-Kwie was arrested and charged with Jodie's murder, the teenager told jurors he deleted the 19-year-old's number from his phone.

    Facing cross-examination from Sarah Forshaw QC, she asks the teenager if he knew Manuel Petrovic.

    He replies saying he has never spoken to, nor does he even know of Mr Petrovic.

    The teenager said Mr Ong-a-Kwie was "always a good friend" and "never caused harm to anyone".

    Miss Forshaw asks: "Have you known him to drive a car?"

    "No," replies the teenager.

    The 17-year-old witness said not only had he deleted Mr Ong-a-Kwie's number from his phone, he also removed the messages between the pair on 1 March.

  4. Teen booked a cab for Svenson Ong-a-Kwie before Jodie was stabbedpublished at 13:03 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Text messages between the teenager and Svenson Ong-a-Kwie were exchanged at about 20:15 GMT, the court has heard.

    "He asked me if I could book him a cab," the teenager says. "He didn't say why.

    "I do it for all of my mates. He said he wanted to be picked up by somewhere called the 'Aston Tree'.

    "I text him to see if he got in the cab alright."

    Mr Aylett says: "There is a text at 20:34 GMT and another one a few seconds later.

    "Was just making sure he got where he wanted to go. I wasn't sure why, it was most likely to visit family."

  5. Teen witness knew Svenson Ong-a-Kwie for yearspublished at 12:56 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    The teenager tells jurors he knew Svenson Ong-a-Kwie by the name 'Spencer' and he met the 19-year-old through friends.

    "I saw him at Central Park in Harold Hill," he says. "I sometimes used to use the skate park and so did Svenson.

    "I met him four or five years ago."

    Mr Aylett asks the teenager: "On Friday 1 March there were number of text messages between you and Mr Ong-a-Kwie.

    "There is a text message from Svenson at 13:54 GMT - why were you getting in touch with Spencer on that particular day?

    "It wasn't just that particular day, we had a phone call asking how each other were. We often got in touch with each other."

    The teenager says he cannot remember many text messages being sent between Mr Ong-a-Kwie and himself on the day Jodie was killed.

    "We were arranging to meet each other," he says. "To see if we were in good health."

  6. Why some witnesses give evidence behind a screenpublished at 12:54 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Danny Shaw
    BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

    During court hearings, some witnesses are allowed by the judge to give their evidence without being present in court or without being seen by everyone in court.

    In such cases, 'special measures' are introduced which might involve a witness testifying from behind a screen so only the judge, jurors and barristers can see them, or by video-link from somewhere outside the courtroom.

    The central purpose of 'special measures' is to make it less stressful for witnesses to give their evidence.

    The measures can be applied to witnesses for either side - the prosecution and the defence - and the kind of cases in which they can be used are set out in guidance by the Crown Prosecution Sevrice.

    They include trials in which people allege they've witnessed serious violence or been the victim of a sexual offence.

    Those who are assessed as 'vulnerable' - if they're under 18, have a mental health problem or disability - may also be permitted to testify from behind a screen or by video-link.

    A variety of other types of 'special measures' are also available, such as hearing evidence without the public being present - but this is applied less often.

    Eddie CoyleImage source, Julia Quenzler
    Image caption,

    Jodie's boyfriend Eddie Coyle gave his evidence from behind a screen

  7. Trial resumespublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    The jury has returned from their mid-morning break and prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC has called another witness.

    The boy is aged 17 and cannot be named for legal reasons.

    The teenager is also giving his evidence from behind a screen.

  8. Jury sent out for mid-morning breakpublished at 12:15 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Cell site expert Richard Baxter has finished giving his evidence for now - having just talked jurors through the final movements of the defendant's mobile phones being picked up near to their home addresses after Jodie had been stabbed.

    Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC has told jurors Mr Baxter will face cross-examination from the four defence barristers on Wednesday morning.

    He adds that this is because Mr Baxter is required to give evidence in another trial here at the Old Bailey today.

    The jury has now broken for a mid-morning break.

    Old BaileyImage source, Getty Images
  9. Svenson Ong-a-Kwie's phone 'picked up' in Amy's Park areapublished at 12:08 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    There was a half-an-hour gap where one of Svenson Ong-a-Kwie's phones is not on a network, jurors have been told.

    "This could be because the phone was put on 'flight mode', on low battery or turned off altogether," Mr Baxter says.

    Another one of Mr Ong-a-Kwie's phones is picked up in an area near Amy's Park - where Jodie was stabbed.

    By 21:29 it is moving away from Harold Hill and by 21:39 Manuel Petrovic's phone is back in the Romford area, Mr Aylett says.

    Amy's ParkImage source, Met Police
  10. Texts and calls between Manuel Petrovic and Svenson Ong-a-Kwiepublished at 11:57 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Mr Aylett takes Mr Baxter through a series of texts and calls between Manuel Petrovic and Svenson Ong-a-Kwie on the evening of 1 March,

    Mr Petrovic, 20, used one phone and another, which belonged to his mother, to contact two phones belonging to Mr Ong-a-Kwie, Mr Aylett has said.

    "The last contact between the two at 21:08 GMT," he adds. "Which is consistent with them having met up.

    "Before that we had a deal of contact between those phones in the Collier Row area."

    Mr Baxter says timings recorded on each phone and cell site data "are accurate".

    "These two cell sites are quite close together," he says.

  11. Movements of Svenson Ong-a-Kwie after cafe meetpublished at 11:36 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Svenson Ong-a-KwieImage source, Julia Quenzler

    After leaving the cafe, Svenson Ong-a-Kwie's mobile was picked up in the Kings Lynn Drive area of Romford, east London, Mr Baxter tells the jury.

    His phone was then picked up by an 02 mast in the "Marks Gate area" of Romford.

    Mr Aylett says this is significant as it is within the vicinity of Hillfoot Road - near to where Mr Ong-a-Kwie was staying in a hostel.

    This is consistent as there is CCTV footage showing Mr Ong-a-Kwie entering and leaving that hostel, he adds.

    Mr Ong-a-Kwie seemed to make a trip to Chadwell Heath at about 18:00 and then back to the Collier Row area of Romford.

  12. Three accused killers at a cafe on morning of stabbingpublished at 11:25 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Manuel Petrovic and Svenson Ong-a-KwieImage source, Julia Quenzler

    Mr Baxter says in this murder case, forensic checks were carried out in the Harold Hill and Collier Row areas of east London.

    Reading out an extract from a report he wrote, Mr Baxter said on 24 May a survey tool was used "at or close to" to a number of different locations, including the addresses of all four defendants.

    Mr Baxter said telephone records of each defendant were examined for the day before Jodie was stabbed.

    One of the teenage defendant's phones was picked up travelling from his home address to the Harold Hill area.

    Mr Aylett says the cell site data is used to "reinforce" CCTV evidence.

    "Take it from me," he tells Mr Baxter and the jury. "We know Manuel Petrovic, one of the teenage defendants and Svenson Ong-a-Kwie were in a cafe between 12:30 and 13:00 on Friday 1 March.

    "After they leave the cafe Manuel Petrovic and the teenager are together for the rest of the day."

    Mr Aylett now asks Mr Baxter to talk through Mr Ong-a-Kwie's movements.

  13. Cell site data explainedpublished at 11:12 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Phone mastImage source, PA Media

    Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC reads out a bit of Richard Baxter's CV to the jury.

    He describes him as a man with 30 years experience in "wireless telecommunications" and has spent some time as a forensic cell site engineer.

    Mr Baxter explains to the jury about how relevant cell site data can be in trials.

    He says: "When your mobile phone switches on and is being used to make calls or texts this will go through a mast - usually the closest one to the phone.

    "There are only four networks - EE, Vodafone, Three and 02.

    "Police can go to these four networks and find information including billing information and cell site information used to plot the movements of a phone."

  14. A reminder as to why the two teenagers cannot be namedpublished at 11:01 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Danny Shaw
    BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

    A Section 45 order is a legal ruling made by a judge which bans publication of the identity of any witness, victim or defendant aged under 18 who appears at a Magistrates' Court or a Crown Court.

    The ban includes reporting the young person's name, address, school, college or place of work - and any details that are likely to identify the person.

    Photographs of the individual are banned as well.

    The rule relates to all reports of the case on radio, television, newspapers, magazines, online and social media.

    The ban applies during the duration of the trial and all other related criminal proceedings, and until the person turns 18.

    Witnesses and victims may apply for lifelong anonymity, so they can't be named even after they've turned 18.

    A judge may decide to lift the restrictions on a young person who's been convicted, but this only happens in exceptional circumstances.

    It's a crime to breach a Section 45 order and can result in a prison sentence.

  15. Jury in court - the trial resumespublished at 10:55 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    All four defendants - Manuel Petrovic, Svenson Ong-a-Kwie and two boys aged 16 and 17 - are in the dock.

    The barristers are sat in the courtroom and Judge Wendy Joseph QC has made her entrance.

    The 12 jurors, made up of seven men and five women, are in place and the murder trial is continuing with more cell site data evidence.

    Richard Baxter - a phone data analyst - enters the witness box and is continuing to face questions from the barristers.

  16. Jury to have more time during the coming dayspublished at 10:51 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Thomas Mackintosh
    BBC London News

    The Jodie Chesney murder trial should now have more time to sit a bit earlier in the morning and a bit later in the afternoon.

    This is because Judge Wendy Joseph QC has just finished another murder trial.

  17. And here is what happened last week in the casepublished at 10:46 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Pathologist Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl gave evidence at the Old Bailey and told jurors that Jodie Chesney died from an 18cm-deep wound from a knife which almost passed right through her body

    The doctor, who carried out a post-mortem examination on Jodie's body on 3 March, found she had a stab wound to the right side of her back from a "single-edged knife" which came within a few millimetres of fully penetrating through the body.

    A picture of Jodie's burgundy denim jacket with an inner fur lining - which she wore on the night she was killed - was also shown to the jury.

    Judge Wendy Joseph QC said jurors would only see an image of the front of the jacket, as the back was "covered in blood".

    Crime scene at Harold HillImage source, PA Media

    The jury was also shown several clips of CCTV including Manuel Petrovic's car leaving Amy's Park shortly after Jodie was stabbed.

    Footage of Svenson Ong-a-Kwie leaving his hostel wearing a yellow JD Sports bag on the day after Jodie's death - was also played to jurors.

    Mr Ong-a-Kwie could be seen walking off and then returning 10 minutes later without the bag.

    Media caption,

    Svenson Ong-a-Kwie leaves his hostel

  18. A recap of what happened in the first week of the trialpublished at 10:35 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    On Monday, 16 September, a panel of 18 jurors were selected and this was whittled down to 14 by the time the prosecution opened the case the following day.

    The 12 jurors - plus two 'spares' - heard details from prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC about the night Jodie Chesney was stabbed in the park in the Harold Hill area of Romford in east London.

    The 17-year-old girl was caught up in a dispute between drug dealers, according to Mr Aylett who added there was "nothing to suggest that Jodie was involved in the supply of drugs or that she might have upset anyone".

    Crime scene forensics in Harold HillImage source, PA Media

    Jurors then heard more details about the arrests of the four defendants - Manuel Petrovic, Svenson Ong-a-Kwie and two teenage boys who cannot be named for legal reasons.

    Mr Aylett spoke about the night of Jodie's murder and said her friends had received a text from Mr-Ong-a-Kwie's "drug phone" advertising a new strain of cannabis known as "Pineapple Express".

    Bryce Henderson, 18, would contact Mr Ong-a-Kwie to buy some of this cannabis to be delivered to 'Amy's Park', Mr Aylett said.

    However, there was no answer from the "drugs line", and they decided to buy from another dealer.

    Eddie Coyle and Bryce HendersonImage source, PA Media and BBC

    On Friday, 20 September, the jury heard evidence from Jodie's boyfriend Eddie Coyle who told the court he caught his girlfriend as she fell after being stabbed in the back.

    The 18-year-old, who gave evidence from behind a screen, said the group of friends had just started smoking cannabis when Jodie was attacked.

    "She was in shock at first. She did not know what had happened," he said.

    "She started screaming continuously, very loud, about two minutes straight."

    Eddie Coyle gives evidence from behind a screenImage source, Julia Quenzler
  19. Welcomepublished at 10:28 British Summer Time 30 September 2019

    Old BaileyImage source, Getty Images

    The Jodie Chesney murder trial enters its third week as the prosecution continues its case against two men and two teenage boys accused of killing the 17-year-old girl.

    We will be bringing you the latest updates from the 10th day of the trial here at the Old Bailey.