Harry Baker murder case: Accused 'feared other defendants'

Harry Baker's body was found in a container yard in Barry Docks, in August 2019

A man accused of murdering a teenager told a court he picked up a plank of wood, not to attack the boy, but in case his co-defendants attacked him.

Harry Baker, 17, from Cardiff, was stabbed nine times in a shipping container yard in August 2019.

At Newport Crown Court, six men and a boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, deny murder.

Defendant Ryan Palmer, 34, told the jury on Wednesday he had no intention of harming Mr Baker.

He said he joined the group of defendants that chased Mr Baker to the docks because he had bought drugs off two of them but not received them.

"All I had on my mind was drugs," Mr Palmer said.

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Questioned by his barrister, Ignatius Hughes QC, Mr Palmer said a friend had arranged to meet Mr Baker to buy drugs near a Nisa store, in Barry.

"We're waiting on the corner and heard a bit of shouting, and we've gone around the corner and they're all arguing," he said.

Mr Palmer added that "they all had knives, just going for each other".

He said co-accused Leon Symons and the 17-year-old defendant had knives, and Mr Baker and his friend had knives.

Mr Palmer told the court he followed when the chase began "because I wanted my drugs, what I paid for".

'All had knives'

He did not want to harm Mr Baker, he said, and "didn't know anything was going to happen".

Mr Palmer picked up a piece of wood at the docks because "all the Cardiff boys", he said, "all had knives."

He said he climbed the fence and entered the shipping container yard because he believed "people were just running straight through".

He told the jury he then left the yard and the 17-year-old defendant supplied him with heroin and crack.

The jury was told Mr Palmer did not know there had been a stabbing when he was arrested.

Mr Palmer, who the court heard had a significantly below average intellectual ability, said he had bought drugs from Mr Baker in the hours before he was killed.

He told Ignatius Hughes QC, defending, he bought drugs off Mr Baker several times that same day.

He said he bought them, then celebrated the birthday of another defendant, Raymond Thompson.

Mr Palmer told the court he had been using heroin and crack since he was 15 or 16, and would be paid £50 helping his father in his painting and decorating business and also received state benefit payments.

All the defendants deny murder.

The case continues.