Harlow murder trial: Man stabbed with machete at playground

Max Richardson, 35, from Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, died in the ambulance on the way to hospital

A man was stabbed with a machete after confronting another man who was scaring children near a playground, a court heard.

Max Richardson, 35, died in an ambulance on the way to hospital after the altercation in Joyners Field in Harlow, Essex, in August.

Tieran Carmody, 19, of Berecroft, Harlow, is on trial accused of murder.

Prosecutor Andrew Jackson said the defendant cycled from the scene and later tried to change his appearance.

Warning: Article contains distressing detail

Opening the trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Mr Jackson said Mr Carmody was "simply not willing to be challenged on what he was doing there" and added: "He was not acting in a way of lawful self-defence and his intention was to kill or at the very least to harm."

Jurors were told Mr Carmody was seen smoking cannabis by young people at Joyners Field on the evening of 21 August, and alerted adults because they were "frightened".

A group of adults came outside, and Mr Richardson and another man approached Mr Carmody asking what he was doing, Mr Jackson said.

Mr Carmody threw a punch at the victim and all three men ended up on the ground, before Mr Carmody walked towards his bicycle to retrieve a foot-long machete - the court heard.

Mr Richardson put his hands up in surrender, as did the other adults at the scene, but jurors were told the defendant stabbed the victim in "an act of revenge" for having been challenged.

Max Richardson had his arms up in a surrender when he was attacked with the machete, jurors were told

Audio from phone camera footage was played to the jury, in which a woman can be heard saying "babe he's got a knife" and a child is heard screaming.

Mr Richardson - who is from Cheshunt in Hertfordshire - can also be heard asking "oi - come on mate what are you doing" in doorbell camera footage, Mr Jackson said.

The court was told Mr Carmody tried to book several haircuts after the incident in order to change his appearance.

Harrison Barnett, 19, of St Mary's Crescent, Basildon, Essex, is also on trial accused of perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.