Boy, 14, denies firing fatal shot at Keon Lincoln in Birmingham

Keon Lincoln died in hospital after he was shot and stabbed in Birmingham in January

A 14-year-old boy accused of firing a shot which caused "fatal injuries" to schoolboy Keon Lincoln has told a jury he had no involvement in the killing.

The boy is one of five defendants who deny murdering Keon, 15, in Handsworth, Birmingham, on 21 January.

He denied handling a gun or knife but told Birmingham Crown Court he lied to police about where he was on that day.

He was shown an image of a car used by the attackers, but said he had never got into it or been at the scene.

The boy from Birmingham, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he had a chat with his girlfriend on the "early evening" of 21 January saying "the main issue was Keon Lincoln".

"I heard he got stabbed," he said.

He was arrested on 28 January and told police in his first interview he spent the day of the attack in Linwood Road at an address in the city, jurors heard.

Asked if that was true, he replied: "No, that was a lie.

"I told the police that because I didn't want to get myself in trouble, because I knew I was at Deykin Avenue on 21 January.

"The rumour on the streets was that the people in Deykin Avenue had attacked Keon Lincoln, so I didn't want to get myself in trouble."

He also said when he told police his mobile phone's sim card was damaged, it was "a lie as well".

"I decided to bin the phone so the police couldn't see I was at Deykin Avenue. So I don't get accused of anything I hadn't done," he said.

(L-R) Tahjgeem Breakenridge, Kieron Donaldson and Michael Ugochukwu are on trial alongside two youths who cannot be identified

Under cross-examination by Michael Burrows QC, prosecuting, the youth was asked why he refused to name a "friend" he contacted to "pick up some trainers" from, hours before Keon was attacked.

He replied: "I'm scared for my family, I'm scared for myself."

When he later declined to name other people he associated with that day, he said: "You don't know these people."

He was also asked "did you fire the gun?", and replied: "No, I didn't."

As well as the murder charge, he also denies possessing a handgun with intent to endanger life.

Opening the case for the prosecution previously, Mr Burrows said a gunman aged 14 had shot at Keon twice and one shot in the stomach caused fatal injuries.

Keon was also repeatedly stabbed in the "short and brutal" attack and died in hospital two hours later, he said.

A 16-year-old from Walsall, Kieron Donaldson, 18, of Aston Lane, Perry Barr, Tahjgeem Breakenridge, 18, of Oldfield Road, Balsall Heath and Michael Ugochukwu, 18, of Twyning Road, Edgbaston, all deny murder.

Mr Breakenridge, Mr Ugochukwu and the 16-year-old, who cannot be named because of a court order, also deny unlawful possession of a knife.

The trial continues.