Newcastle student murder jury shown CCTV of accused 'kicking victim'

Student Jason Brockbanks was found dead at his flat in Newcastle's Howard Street on 27 September

A man accused of murdering his boyfriend held hands and took selfies with him just hours before stabbing him, a court has heard.

CCTV images showing Aaron Ray and Jason Brockbanks on a night out in Newcastle last September were shown to the jury.

When the two men returned to Mr Brockbanks' student flat, Mr Ray is seen apparently kicking the 24-year-old as he sat on a low wall smoking.

Mr Ray, 21, from Sunderland, denies murder at Newcastle Crown Court.

The images shown to the jury showed the two men visiting a number of bars during the early hours of 24 September. They are seen on the edge of the dancefloor at Bobby's Bar on Scotswood Road.

They are later seen on CCTV visiting Rusty's Bar and the Pink Lounge.

'I'm in trouble - just ring me'

The men returned to Mr Brockbanks' student flat at about 03:45 BST, where Mr Ray is seen on CCTV apparently kicking Mr Brockbanks as he sits on a low wall smoking.

Once inside, prosecutors claim Mr Ray then attacked the third year Northumbria University student after the defendant took a video of himself scrolling through Mr Brockbank's phone, which appeared to show a series of messages, including "sexualised conversation", with another man.

The prosecution said that after the stabbing, Mr Ray took the knife into the communal kitchen then walked to Newcastle Central Station and got a taxi to Sunderland.

The body of Mr Brockbanks, from Whitehaven, Cumbria, was found three days later by an accommodation manger at the property in Howard Street.

The court heard Mr Ray, of Mayfield Road, later messaged a friend saying "I'm in trouble - just ring me" and said he had had a "falling out" with his boyfriend.

A post-mortem examination showed Mr Brockbanks had a fatal stab wound to his abdomen and two knife injuries to his back.

The trial continues.