Trust Gangata's fatal stabbing was mistaken identity, court told

Trust Gangata died in hospital shortly after being stabbed multiple times in March

A 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed at a house party in Leeds in a case of "mistaken identity", a court has heard.

Trust Gangata died after the attack at a house in Salisbury Road, Armley, in the early hours of 19 March.

At Leeds Crown Court, a trial heard four men wearing face coverings chased the sixth-form student into the kitchen and he was stabbed at least 14 times.

Paul Mbwasse, 19, Karlson Ogie, 19, Karl Belinga, 19, and Brandon Paradzai, 20, all deny a charge of murder.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Craig Hassall KC said Mr Belinga, of Brendon Walk, Bradford, had been attacked by another young man earlier in the evening at the house party.

Mr Belinga and the other man had been "involved in a feud" for several months, the jury was told.

Mr Hassall told the court Mr Belinga subsequently left the party, but later returned in a car with three others.

"All four defendants, by this time wearing face coverings, went into the house and wrongly identified Trust Gangata as their intended victim," Mr Hassall told the jury.

Shortly before 03:00 on 19 March, 999 calls were made from the property and Trust was taken by ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary.

The stabbing took place at a house party on Salisbury Road in the Armley area of Leeds

He could not be resuscitated and was declared dead at 03:31, the trial heard.

The prosecution alleges Mr Belinga, Mr Mbwasse, of Walpole Road, Huddersfield, Mr Ogie, of Bierley House Avenue, Bradford, and Mr Paradzai, of Coleshill Way, Bradford, headed to the party to "avenge" the earlier attack on Mr Belinga.

The jury heard a Home Office pathologist believed Trust had received at least 14 separate blows with a knife.

"The deaths of young men to knife crime are often, quite properly, described as senseless tragedies," the prosecution barrister told the court.

"Trust Gangata's death was all the more senseless, and tragic, because it occurred as a result of mistaken identity."

The trial continues.