Tavis Spencer-Aitkens killing: Rival Ipswich gangs in 'shouting match'

Tavis Spencer-Aitkens, 17, died in hospital after being stabbed in the heart in June after an altercation between two rival groups in Ipswich, a court has heard

Two rival gangs were involved in a "shouting match" in a town centre shop hours before a 17-year-old was stabbed to death, a court has heard.

Police officer Murray Osman intervened and told Ipswich Crown Court he feared the row could "escalate to significant violence".

Tavis Spencer-Aitkens was stabbed 15 times and had a bottle smashed over his head in Ipswich on 2 June.

Five men and a 16-year-old boy are accused of murdering the teenager.

Tavis' mother Sharon arriving at court in Ipswich at the beginning of the trial

Sgt Osman said he was told two men from a gang called Neno, or The Three - named after the IP3 postcode and the Nacton estate area of Ipswich - were in the town centre.

Dressed in plain clothes, he started to scout the town for the two "prominent" members before he was seen in the street by two J-Block gang members, named after the Jubilee Park area.

He said the two males now on trial for Tavis' murder - Aristote Yenge and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named - smiled at him.

Sgt Osman told the court knowing the gangs were in town "heightened my concern".

Left to right: Aristote Yenge, 23; Adebayo Amusa, 20; Callum Plaats, 23; Isaac Calver, 19; Leon Glasgow, 42, and the 16-year-old boy (front) who cannot be named

He said he was then alerted to noise coming from cosmetics shop Lush and could see two members of each of the gangs engaged in a "shouting match" over display counters.

"My concern was it would escalate to significant violence and had to do something," said Sgt Osman.

"I had to be forceful and decisive."

He shouted at them to "take it outside" before frogmarching the two Neno members out of the shop.

He said he searched them but did not know what happened to Mr Yenge and the 16-year-old.

Tavis had just left the shops in Queen's Way, Ipswich, when he was attacked

Sgt Osman confirmed to the court he later heard about the stabbing and that the victim was Tavis.

The court has heard how J-Block wanted revenge after the town centre altercation and headed to the Nacton estate where they attacked Tavis.

Callum Plaats, 23, of Ipswich, Leon Glasgow, 42, of no fixed address, Aristote Yenge, of no fixed address, Isaac Calver, 19, of Ipswich, Adebayo Amusa, 20, of Barking, east London, and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named, all deny murder.

The trial continues.