Sarah Lee
BBC London

The trial has now finished for today and Manuel Petrovic has walked back across the courtroom to the dock.

Charlie Sherrard QC will continue his cross examination tomorrow morning.

The case is expected to start at 10:00 at the Old Bailey and we will bring you more updates throughout the day.

Despite Manuel Petrovic's claiming he had never been to Amy's Park before the night Jodie Chesney was killed - Charlie Sherrard QC pointed to cell site data which suggested otherwise.

He told the court: "You say you’ve never been to Amy’s Park.

"But, on 11, 15, 16, 17, 23, 26, 27, of February and earlier on 1 March at 15:23 GMT – you were located via cell site near Amy’s Park."

Mr Petrovic replied by telling the jury: "My friend lives near Petersfield’s shops so it must be that."

The "Petersfield shops" are around 0.5 miles away from the park where Jodie was stabbed.

Image source, Met Police

The jury has already heard that on the morning of 1 March, Manuel Petrovic, Svenson Ong-a-Kwie and the 16-year-old defendant went to a cafe in Romford for some food.

Speaking to Mr Petrovic, Charlie Sherrard QC told the court: "By mid afternoon on 1 March – you separated.

"We know that you’re not back together again until 21:00.

"You were both doing your own things in your own patches."

Mr Petrovic accepted this account was "correct" and was then asked about his knowledge of Amy's Park.

"I didn’t really know the park," he replied. "I have never been to the park before."

Mr Sherrard responded by saying the area was "well known to someone like Svenson".

He added that Mr Petrovic was "giving the impression" that he had never been to Amy's Park before the night Jodie Chesney was stabbed.

"No," Mr Petrovic replied. "I have heard of it but I have never been to the park before nor the roads beside it."

Image source, Met Police

The jury has returned from a mid-afternoon break and Charlie Sherrard QC is continuing to cross examine Manuel Petrovic.

Mr Sherrard told the court: "You [Mr Petrovic] would go to the café with Svenson all the time, you gave him lifts, you are the person who gave him the crucial lift on 1 Match.

"You are the person – of all the people in the world – to give him clean clothes.

"And on 2 March – you were the person he trusted to take over his drug line. I would suggest you would have each others' back."

In response Mr Petrovic said he "would not class Mr Ong-a-Kwie as a friend.

He added: "We were more business associates rather than friends."

But Mr Sherrard continued to question Mr Petrovic's friendship with Mr Ong-a-Kwie.

"Why would you take time out of your schedule to do a drugs run for someone else?" he asked Mr Petrovic.

The 20-year-old replied: "It wasn’t out of the blue. He tried to help me out on occasions – so I tried to help him.

Mr Petrovic then accepted that the day after Jodie Chesney was stabbed, he "bumped into" Mr Ong-a-Kwie in an alleyway.

Image source, Getty Images

Manuel Petrovic has returned to the dock with the other three defendants and the jury has been sent away for a mid-afternoon break.

Judge Wendy Joseph QC said everyone will sit again at 15:30.

Danny Shaw
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

It is illegal to take photographs in courtrooms or court buildings of anyone involved in the proceedings.

The law, which has been in place for almost 100 years, is still rigorously enforced.

The authorities believe that cameras could act as a distraction in court, intimidate witnesses and deter people from giving evidence.

There’s also a ban on making sketches in court, so artists have to draw from memory – making notes during hearings and completing their drawings away from the courtroom later.

Image source, Julia Quenzler

Manuel Petrovic has told the court his mum was aware that he stored drugs at the family home on Highfield Road in the Romford area of east London.

The 20-year-old said if the home ever got raided by police he would take the blame for it.

Referring to 1 March, Charlie Sherrard QC asked Mr Petrovic if he stuck by the description he gave of himself as someone who is "too nice to people".

Mr Petrovic agreed to this and then told the jury that around the time of Jodie Chesney's death he was with the 16-year-old defendant from "day to night".

"You met Svenson when you were 16 and he was 14?" Mr Sherrard asked Mr Petrovic.

The defendant agreed and said Svenson Ong-a-Kwie bought cannabis from him "and that was it".

Mr Petrovic also denied Mr Sherrard's suggestion that Mr Ong-a-Kwie, at the age of 17, was running a drugs line supplied by Mr Petrovic.

Image source, Julia Quenzler

Charlie Sherrard QC has suggested to Manuel Petrovic that he is someone "who makes choices but blames others".

"You told us how you got involved with drugs," he added. "But you blamed it on others."

Mr Petrovic admitted he was "hanging around with the wrong crowd" when at school in his younger teenage years.

"Despite having two hard working parents, you made choices to bunk school and smoke cannabis," Mr Sherrard told the court.

"You were asked how you afforded drugs at 13 years old."

"I didn’t have a lot," Mr Petrovic replied. "But, I’d get a £10 bit of weed – and between three or four people that’s about £2 or £3 each.

The 20-year-old accepted that it was his choice to become a drug dealer, but dismissed Mr Sherrard's suggestion he "encouraged others to do the same – like the 16-year-old defendant".

"If it was up to me," Mr Petrovic replied. "I would do it by myself. [The 16-year-old], came to me – he only wanted to help me out."

Image source, PA Media

Despite drug dealing in similar areas of east London, Manuel Petrovic told jurors there was "no competition" between him and Svenson Ong-a-Kwie.

The 20-year-old accepted that Amy's Park was "Svenson's patch" and Charlie Sherrard QC asked Mr Petrovic about his drug dealing areas.

"I dealt in Collier Row and Romford," he replied adding that when dealing his class A and B drugs he "never carried a knife".

Mr Sherrard told the court: "What I suggest is that from the minute you were arrested – your best tactic is to paint yourself as a particular type of person, someone who is too nice, a big brother type.

" And then metaphorically – you try and throw Svenson, your friend, under a bus.

"You said you would only sometimes drive around and socialise with him regularly – sometimes.

"But, then you said to us that you went to a café with him everyday."

Mr Petrovic said "this is not correct" and also denied "rewriting the truth".

Image source, Julia Quenzler

Charlie Sherrard QC continued to ask Manuel Petrovic about the night Jodie Chesney was stabbed to death.

In the lead up to the fatal stabbing, the jury heard that Svenson Ong-a-Kwie asked Mr Petrovic for a lift to Amy's Park.

"In all the conversations of that day Svenson did not discuss anything of violence.

"The only thing that was troubling him, was that he needed a lift to supply his customers?", Mr Sherrard asked.

"Yes", Mr Petrovic replied.

Image source, PA Media

Everybody has returned to courtroom eight and the 12 jurors are back in the jury box.

Manuel Petrovic is in the witness box and has continued to give evidence.

Louise Sweet QC has finished her cross examination of the 20-year-old and now Charlie Sherrard QC - the defence barrister for Svenson Ong-a-Kwie - has started his questioning.

"Let's start at Amy's Park", he said. "It was he who asked you for a lift to Amy's Park?" he asked.

Mr Petrovic replied: "Yes."

Mr Sherrard then asked: "He was the only person who had indicated he had any business in Amy's Park that night?"

Mr Petrovic agreed.

The jury has been sent out for their one-hour lunch break.

Manuel Petrovic has walked back to the dock and will continue to be cross examined by Louise Sweet QC just after 14:00.

Image source, PA Media

Louise Sweet QC is going through a number of texts and calls from Manuel Petrovic's phone to his customers and to his friends on 2 March - the day after Jodie Chesney was killed in Harold Hill.

A number of these texts relate to the sale of drugs.

Image source, Getty Images

The 12 jurors are now back in court and the trial is resuming.

Manuel Petrovic is continuing to give his evidence and is being questioned by Louise Sweet QC - the defence barrister of the 16-year-old boy.

She is asking Mr Petrovic about what happened on the night Jodie Chesney was stabbed to death on 1 March.

Image source, Julia Quenzler

Manuel Petrovic told jurors he was born in Germany to parents who were originally from Croatia.

He has spent most of his life living in the UK adding that his parents split up when he was a young teenager.

The 20-year-old said he was once supposed to have been scouted by West Ham United, but "fell in with the wrong crowd" and would "bunk off school".

Mr Petrovic said he became a drug dealer in the Collier Row and Romford areas of east London selling cannabis and cocaine to clients.

After seeing an online article detailing Jodie's death, Mr Petrovic said he "put two and two together" that he drove to Amy's Park and gave Svenson Ong-a-Kwie a change of clothes.

He said he became suspicious when he saw the 19-year-old later on 2 March.

"I saw Svenson at about 13:00," Mr Petrovic told jurors. "I saw Svenson in the alleyway.

"I got out the cab, approached Svenson and asked him if he had seen the news. He said he hadn't seen the news.

"I asked him again about the 17-year-old girl that had been stabbed. I asked him about the change of clothes and the park.

"He said 'I don't know what the **** you are talking about.

"I was scared at the time, I knew I had brought him clothes and to the park the day before.

Image source, Met Police

Miss Forshaw asked Mr Petrovic about his movements after that meeting, and the 20-year-old said he "bought some spray for the car".

"What did you hope to remove," Miss Forshaw said.

"I thought there might be blood in the car," Mr Petrovic replied. "I didn't see any.

"I was scared I was involved with something I did not know about."

Image source, PA

The Jodie Chesney murder trial is now into its fifth week.

Last week, the prosecution concluded its case and the first of the four males accused of murdering the 17-year-old girl - Manuel Petrovic - started his defence case.

We will be bringing you all the latest updates from the Old Bailey as Mr Petrovic continues to give evidence while being cross examined.