On Friday, 25 February, friends and relatives of Dea John Reid left the courtroom in tears after the schoolboy’s final moments were repeatedly played for jurors.
The fourth day of the murder trial at Birmingham Crown Court, expected to last up to eight weeks, again centred on CCTV and doorbell camera footage from Kingstanding.
Police officers recovered footage from more than 20 cameras around Twickenham Road, College Road, Hometon Road, and Wardour Grove.
Jurors were shown defendants George Khan (39) and Michael Shields (36) along with their three child co-defendants driving around several roads in a blue VW Golf looking for Dea-John Reid and his friends.
The court previously heard how Dea-John had an altercation earlier in the day in Kingstanding, where money had been demanded, before one of the minors accused phoned Khan – who was drinking in The Digby pub on the Chester Road with Shields.
The two men allegedly then jumped into Khan’s VW Golf and collected the boys, some of whom picked up weapons – including a kitchen knife and a wheel brace, before driving around Kingstanding and Perry Common searching for Dea-John and his friends.
Detectives painstakingly pieced together CCTV from shops and footage from doorbell cameras to show the chase in chronological order.
Detective Constable Dave Pugh, giving evidence for a third day, played footage from a College Road camera which had both groups in shot.
He said: “This is the moment the two groups saw each other. Dea-John became separated from his group and can be seen running alone.”
The two men and three boys can then be seen running across a busy College Road chasing after Dea-John, with some of the group carrying weapons.
DC Pugh replayed the audio of a doorbell camera on College Road at half speed, two thirds speed and normal speed. An older man can be heard shouting “f**k him up” to the boys ahead of him.
One of boys caught up with Dea-John on the corner of Wardour Grove and College Road. The police have recovered camera footage from both streets giving a clear view of the two or three second altercation which left Dea-John dead.
The boy approaches Dea-John and they clash, the boy can be seen making a hand movement with a knife towards Dea-John’s body. Dea-John can then be seen recoiling and holding his side while his attacker runs off.
The unnerving footage was replayed at different speeds several times, prompting two members of the victim’s family to leave the court in tears.
The judge then paused evidence for lunch, whilst other members of Dea-John’s family were visibly upset outside the court.
Due to the interest in the case, the defendants, the judge, several lawyers, and some members of the victim’s and defendants families are in one court – while lawyers and extended family of the victim watch proceedings from another room.
Dea-John Reid’s murder on 31 May 2021 prompted a massive response on social media, with a vigil held on the spot where he died attracting more than 1,000 people from across the country.
Shields, of Alvis Walk, Castle Bromwich, and Khan, of Newstead Road, Birmingham, and the three children, who cannot be named because of their age, all deny murder.
Hollie Davies, 36, of Waldon Walk, Birmingham, is accused of assisting an offender. She denies the charge.
The trial continues.
Sad he list his life..but no mention of what the victim had done prior to him being murdered.. if they go round playing with fire…they will get burned. Snd sadly this little chap paid the ultimate price for his actions. RIP.. young fella.
Well said he was going around robbing children at knifepoint, that’s what happens when you play with fire