Bury St Edmunds: Murder accused men 'were armed with dagger and sword'

Neil Charles was found with a single stab wound to his chest and a slash wound to his knee

Two men accused of killing a man in a "rough justice" attack were armed with a sword and dagger, a court heard.

Neil Charles, 47, was fatally stabbed in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, at about 03:55 BST on 20 June 2021.

Father and son David and Edward King, both from the town, deny murdering him.

Ipswich Crown Court heard they wanted to teach Mr Charles, who was stabbed in the chest, "a lesson" after he tried the door handles of cars parked outside their home.

During his closing speech, prosecutor Christopher Paxton QC told the jury: "A guilty verdict does not condone what Neil Charles did but condemns individuals of taking weapons and the law into their own hands.

"Neil Charles should've been punished but by the police and courts in accordance with the law, not by these two, David and Edward King; they were their own judge, jury and executioner," he said.

Mr Paxton described the stabbing as "vigilante style" and said the men, said to be armed with a sword and dagger, wanted "rough justice".

The court heard Mr Charles was stabbed in the chest with a dagger and had a slash on his knee from a sword, and was attacked about 70m (230ft) from the Kings' home.

During his defence, David King had told the court they wanted to "detain" Mr Charles and "make sure he was off the estate".

David King, 55, of Radnor Close, Bury St Edmunds, denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

Edward King, 19, also of Radnor Close, Bury St Edmunds, denies the same two charges.

The trial continues.