Milton Keynes house party murder trial: Accused says he played no part

Ben Gillham-Rice (left) and Dom Ansah (right) died after being attacked at a party

A man accused of killing two teenagers has told a court he thought he was just going to a party with friends.

Dom Ansah and Ben Gillham-Rice, both 17, suffered fatal injuries at a Milton Keynes house party on October 19 2019.

Charlie Chandler, one of four people on trial accused of their murders, told a jury he played no part in the events.

Mr Chandler, 22, of Fitzwilliam Street, Bletchley, and three others deny murder. A fifth man has admitted murder.

Jurors at Luton Crown Court heard the accused were all connected to the B3 gang based in west Bletchley, Milton Keynes.

Prosecutors said they were tipped-off that people associated with the rival M4 gang were at the house party at Archford Croft.

Giving evidence, Mr Chandler said he discovered co-defendant Clayton Barker was going to the party and decided to go with him and some friends in a taxi.

The boys were stabbed in Archford Croft in Milton Keynes in October 2019

Under questioning from his barrister Giles Cocking QC, he denied having a machete or seeing anyone in the taxi with a weapon.

He said he had "a bad feeling something was not right" when they arrived and denied going in to the house.

He told the jury he saw Dom run out of the house and witnessed him being attacked while he was "cowed on the floor".

Mr Chandler told the court: "I wanted to keep my distance, because I was not involved."

Earl Bevans changed his pleas to guilty at the start of the trial

Mr Chandler and Mr Barker, 20, from Bletchley, along with two teenagers, aged 17 and 16, who cannot be identified, deny murder in a joint enterprise.

All four further deny two charges of wounding with intent in relation to two other teenagers injured at the party.

A fifth defendant, Earl Bevans, 23, has admitted two counts of murder and two counts of wounding with intent.

The trial continues.