Jodie Chesney murder accused denies 'throwing friend under bus'
- Published
Jodie Chesney was killed a few weeks before completing her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award
One of Jodie Chesney's alleged killers has been accused of throwing his business partner "under the bus" over the teenager's death.
Drug dealer Manuel Petrovic drove Svenson Ong-a-Kwie and two youths to the park where Jodie was fatally stabbed on 1 March.
Mr Petrovic denied he was trying to "rewrite the truth".
He, along with Mr Ong-a-Kwie and two youths, aged 16 and 17, deny murder and are on trial at the Old Bailey.
Cross-examining Mr Petrovic, Mr Ong-a-Kwie's lawyer accused him of distancing himself from his co-accused.
Charles Sherrard QC said: "What I suggest is that you have, from the minute you were arrested, decided your best tactic is to present yourself as a particular type of person - somebody who is too nice, the older brother type, and wherever possible, distanced yourself from Svenson."
Mr Petrovic replied: "That's not correct."
Manuel Petrovic (left) described Svenson Ong-a-Kwie (far right) as "business associates"
Mr Sherrard continued: "And in distancing yourself you have chosen to rewrite the truth and metaphorically throw him under the bus."
The 20-year-old repeated: "That's not correct."
Mr Sherrard asserted that it was Mr Petrovic that 19-year-old Mr Ong-a-Kwie turned to when he needed a lift to Harold Hill on the night of 1 March.
He turned to him again when he needed fresh clothes and trusted him with a "drug line", it was claimed.
But Mr Petrovic told jurors: "It was more business associates than friends but I would not not class him as a friend."
Asked why he picked up Ong-a-Kwie on 1 March, leaving customers waiting, he said: "It's not out of the blue, he would help me out on occasions so I would try to help him out too."
The Old Bailey trial continues.