Knife murders of two Milton Keynes 17-year-olds were gang-related, court hears

The gangs named in court were the B3 gang from West Bletchley or the M4 Gang from Westcroft.

Prospective jurors were quizzed by judge Mr Justice Spencer at Luton Crown Court about whether they knew anybody from either gang.

The court was deciding whether the jurors could be deemed suitable to sit in judgement on the case of five youths - including a boy who was 15-years-old at the time of the alleged events - accused of murder.

They heard how the trial would describe the killings of two MK 17-year-olds, Dom Anseh and Ben Gilliam-Rice, who died from stab wounds after a house party in Emerson Valley last October.

Facing trial for two counts of murder are Clayton Barker, aged 20, Charlie Chandler, aged 22, and 23-year-old Earl Bevans.

A 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy, both from Milton Keynes, also face the same charges but cannot be named for legal reasons.

Chandler, of Fitzwilliam Street, Bletchley, Bevans, of no fixed abode, Barker, of Surrey Road, Bletchley, and the two anonymous youths are all denying two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Jurors heard the names of more than 20 witnesses to the events surrounding the night of October 19 last year, when police were called to a semi-detached house in Emerson Valley following reports of a stabbing.

Police had said at the time that the attackers burst into the house uninvited, wearing face coverings and confronted the two victims, who were killed, with two others left injured.

It was said by mourners, following the deaths, that Dom and Ben were childhood friends and were "always jokey" when they were together.

The jury members were being selected amid discussions with lawyers representing the young male defendants.

Mr Justice Spencer warned the jury to keep an eye on the news overnight to see if any further Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were introduced which might close schools.

"It looks as though there is going to be pretty well a full lockdown. That will not apply to you as jurors, you are excluded by statute", he said.

"It does occur to me that if there might be news during the course of the day or overnight, for example schools might close for a spell and what impact that might have on your availability. We cannot predict more than by putting a damp finger and sticking it up in the wind."