Image source, Met Police

Manuel Petrovic is now speaking about the prison visit he had from a friend of his.

During that visit, Mr Petrovic told his friend that he was sure the 17-year-old defendant did not stab Jodie in Amy’s Park.

“Jodie’s friends seemed to describe Svenson through their witness statements,” Mr Petrovic said.

“I took him there and I knew what he was wearing.”

Mr Aylett said: “Svenson made no secret of what he was going to do or what he had done when he came back.”

“No,” Mr Petrovic replied.

Image source, Julia Quenzler

Despite Manuel Petrovic giving Svenson Ong-a-Kwie a lift to Harold Hill for a drug deal, Mr Petrovic said he “did not know” why the 17-year-old defendant got out of his car with Mr Ong-a-Kwie.

During his police interview, a witness statement – now known to be Andrei Mihai – was read out to Mr Petrovic saying a black Vauxhall Corsa was seen in the area of Amy’s Park.

Mr Petrovic continued to answer "no comment" in his interviews even when he was told about the arrest of the 16-year-old boy who was with him on the night of Jodie’s death.

Mr Aylett said during that interview another prepared statement was read out.

“You didn’t say anything about your involvement with Class A drugs,” Mr Aylett said.

“You didn’t say anything about driving away from Amy’s Park at speed, you didn’t say anything about cleaning the car and, one more just for measure, you lied about who it was who beat you up.”

Mr Petrovic agreed with all of Mr Aylett’s points.

Mr Aylett read out some facts regarding Manuel Petrovic. They included:

• Police recovered the receipt from the car dealership Manuel Petrovic bought the Vauxhall Corsa from just days after Jodie Chesney was stabbed to death
• Mr Petrovic's mother gave him the money for the car
• Mr Petrovic answered no comment to the questions asked in his first and second police interviews
• He later supplied a prepared statement to police
• Mr Petrovic answered no comment to questions asked about being forced to take anyone to Amy’s Park and if he knew what had happened to Jodie

The jury is back in court and Manuel Petrovic is continuing to give evidence in court room eight.

Up in the public gallery there are around 20 people watching the rest of the proceedings before lunch.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC is now taking the 20-year-old through his police interviews after he was arrested in Leicester.

Manuel Petrovic said he only became aware of the timings of the fatal stabbing when he saw the news in the Romford Recorder the following morning.

The 20-year-old told the court: “I knew I had taken them [Svenson Ong-a-Kwie and the 17-year-old boy] at a specific time, but I wasn’t sure.

“I couldn’t tell you what time I took them as I am someone who doesn’t pay attention to time.”

Crispin Aylett QC has asked Judge Wendy Joseph QC if now is “an appropriate time for a break”.

Judge Joseph has agreed and adjourned the case until 11:50.

Dan Johnson
BBC News

On the night Jodie Chesney was killed and after Manuel Petrovic’s car keys were stolen, he spoke to Svenson Ong-a-Kwie to tell him he had a “madness” of his own.

“I said I was set up and robbed,” Mr Petrovic told the court.

“I probably explained what had happened. Said my car was left there and would be going back tomorrow.”

Mr Aylett asked: “You didn’t say anything about the feds showing up at your door?”

“No I didn’t,” he replied.

“You had no idea about what Svenson’s madness was?” Mr Aylett asked.

Mr Petrovic responded: “Yes, that’s correct.”

Image source, Julia Quenzler

Hours after Jodie Chesney was stabbed in the back in Harold Hill, Manuel Petrovic parked in the Elvet Avenue area of Gidea Park – about two miles away from Amy’s Park, east London.

It was there he was robbed, he told the court.

The 20-year-old told jurors about being “threatened of being stabbed in the neck” if he did not hand over his drugs.

Mr Petrovic said the keys were taken out of the ignition and he thought quickly to lie about the location of his drugs.

He said he told the robbers the drugs were in the boot of his car but were actually in his man bag and in his waistband.

Mr Aylett asked why Mr Petrovic lied and he responded: “That’s what I was thinking about at the time.”

The Vauxhall Corsa was left abandoned in Elvet Avenue, subsequently blocking the road.

Mr Petrovic and the 16-year-old defendant were eventually picked up by a man called “Boris”, the court heard.

Mr Petrovic told the jury: “I don’t want to give his surname. His real name ain’t Boris.

“I don’t want to tell you and I don’t know his real name.”

Manuel Petrovic said it was “irrelevant” for him to ask why Svenson Ong-a-Kwie had “a madness” – which he described last week in evidence “as a problem”.

The 20-year-old ended up going back to his home address in Highfield Road, Romford, to get clothes for Mr Ong-a-Kwie.

Mr Petrovic took his brother’s clothes - who was in prison at the time.

He then drove to meet Mr Ong-a-Kwie and handed him the clothes in another park.

Mr Aylett asked why he never questioned Mr Ong-a-Kwie about the “madness” he was talking about.

“I didn’t really care to be honest,” Mr Petrovic replied. “I just handed him the clothes and went back to my car.”

Image source, Met Police

After the group left Amy’s Park, Svenson Ong-a-Kwie asked Manuel Petrovic for a change of clothes, the 20-year-old told the court.

Crispin Aylett QC asked why the defendant did not change his own clothes or why he did not ask Mr Ong-a-Kwie why he wanted a change of clothes in the first instance.

“I didn’t ask,” Mr Petrovic replied.

Talking about how he continued to sell drugs into the night, Mr Petrovic said: "I wouldn’t carry on with a poxy drug deal if I was wearing the same clothes, driving the same car, with the same number plate.

“I don’t know anyone who would do that apart from a psychopath.”

“No,” Mr Aylett told Mr Petrovic. “Not a psychopath, but someone caught up in a drug war between Collier Row and Harold Hill.”

Image source, Met Police

Asked how long he spent waiting at Amy’s Park – 20-year-old Manuel Petrovic initially said in his police statement he was there for around "two to five minutes".

However, Crispin Aylett QC has said the entire incident happened in less than a minute.

“I was not sat there with a stopwatch recording the time,” Mr Petrovic said.

Mr Petrovic reaffirmed to jurors that he heard no screaming as Svenson Ong-a-Kwie and the 17-year-old boy got back into his car.

Mr Aylett then questioned the defendant about his driving. His car was picked up on CCTV driving away from the scene "at speed".

“I ain’t never took no lessons,” he replied. “It’s just the way I drive. If you want to class it as a boy racer that’s what you class it at.”

Mr Aylett asked: “You knew violence had occurred and you drove them away from the scene of the crime.”

“No,” Mr Petrovic told the court. “That’s not right.”

Image source, PA

Earlier in the trial, the jury heard evidence from witnesses who described hearing a girl scream from Amy's Park at about 21:25 on the night of 1 March.

Manuel Petrovic has already accepted he drove to the park and waited while the two people who got out of his car, returned.

"I was going to smoke a joint," he said.

Mr Aylett asked Mr Petrovic if he heard any screaming.

"No, I did not hear no screaming," he said.

Image source, Family handout

Manuel Petrovic has been asked to go through his telephone records at around the time of the stabbing.

Mr Petrovic had previously told the court he had been texting when the incident happened.

Mr Aylett QC told the court there were no text messages sent by the 20-year-old from the moment the two boys got out of the car.

"I must just not have hit send," Mr Petrovic said.

"There is no trace of it [the message]," Mr Aylett QC told Mr Petrovic.

"Within six minutes of you driving to a park, two people get out, stab somebody to death and then get away."

"Yes, that's correct," Mr Petrovic replied.

Crispin Aylett QC is now playing a walk-through video of the route Manuel Petrovic's car took on the night of 1 March near to Amy's Park - the area where Jodie Chesney was stabbed.

Mr Petrovic looks on at the video, which shows the route along Retford Road.

Amy's Park is to the right hand side of the road.

Another CCTV clip is played to Mr Petrovic - this time from the night of the fatal stabbing.

It shows two people getting out of his Vauxhall Corsa at about 21:19.

Mr Aylett asked: "When the [17-year-old boy] got out, did you notice anything about him. Did you see if his face was covered with a bandanna?" "No I didn't," Mr Petrovic replied.

Image source, PA

Yesterday, Charlie Sherrard QC, for Svenson Ong-a-Kwie, continued his cross examination of Mr Petrovic.

The 20-year-old defendant told jurors he was glad he was arrested as he "had nothing to hide".

"But you did have something to hide didn't you?" Crispin Aylett QC asked.

"You didn't say anything to the police about the clothes, you didn't say anything about cleaning your car and you didn't say anything about supplying Class A drugs."

"You said the family deserved to know the truth," Mr Aylett added.

"Why did you clean the car?" Mr Aylett asked.

Mr Petrovic replied: "Because I had taken two people to a park where they murdered someone.

"It had nothing to do with me, so of course I was going to be concerned."

Image source, Julia Quenzler

The trial of four males charged with the murder of 17-year-old Jodie Chesney has entered its 19th day.

Manuel Petrovic, wearing a blue suit, is continuing to face questions from prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC.