Jack Woodley death: Teen gang 'went looking for a victim'

Jack Woodley's family described him as "cheeky and charming"

A gang of youths accused of murdering an 18-year-old man near a funfair went out looking to attack someone, prosecutors allege.

Jack Woodley was chased, surrounded and then attacked by 10 youths, one of whom stabbed him with a "Rambo-style" knife, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

One boy aged 15 admits killing Jack with the knife but denies murder.

Nine others aged between 14 and 17 at the time, deny murder and manslaughter. Their trial is due to last eight weeks.

The court heard the defendants, none of whom can be identified, were at the Houghton Feast, a funfair in a park at Houghton-le-Spring, on 16 October 2021.

Mr Woodley, who was also at the fair, was chased down an alleyway beside the Britannia Inn before he was killed nearby.

Jack Woodley was attacked near the Britannia Inn in Houghton-le-Spring

Prosecutor Mark McKone QC said the gang "went out looking for serious trouble that day" with one armed with a "very dangerous" and "sinister" knife and another with a knuckle duster.

He said the gang had "no particular victim in mind" and did not know Mr Woodley, who lived in Sunderland, but were looking for "any reason or excuse to attack someone".

There was a minor tussle between two girls linked to one of the defendants, and when Mr Woodley asked what it was about the gang used that as a "trivial" reason to target him, Mr McKone said.

One of the group challenged Mr Woodley to a fight but he said he did not want to and tried to leave.

Another "patted" Mr Woodley down to see if he had a knife which he did not, the court heard, before the attack began.

'Get chopper out'

He said the group "surrounded and isolated" Mr Woodley, pulling up their collars and covering their faces with hoods and balaclavas as "they prepared to attack".

"Somebody actually shouted 'get the chopper out'," Mr McKone said, adding: "Jack was hugely outnumbered by the large group that not only attacked him but prevented him from escaping and other people from helping him."

Mr McKone said Mr Woodley was repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on before being stabbed in the back with the 25.4cm (10in)-long blade, which had two cutting edges and a serrated section.

He died the following day despite "valiant attempts" to save his life both at the scene and in hospital.

The knife was found by police near Houghton Cricket Club with examinations showing it had been recently cleaned of blood.

The DNA of both Mr Woodley and the 15-year-old confessed killer was found on the knife's sheath, Mr McKone said, which was "good evidence this is the right knife that was used to kill Jack".

Mr McKone said the boy admitted "stabbing and killing Jack" but denied murder on the basis he "denies he intended to kill Jack or cause Jack really serious harm".

He said all 10 were charged with murder because of the "joint enterprise concept".

"What each defendant did to Jack varies," Mr McKone said, but he added: "All participated in this joint attack using violence themselves or intentionally encouraging others to use violence."

The trial continues.