Sunderland man on trial for murder of Jason Brockbanks in Newcastle

Aaron Ray was said to have delivered two further knife wounds to Mr Brockbanks’ back in the alleged attack in the victim’s flat, in the Mansion Tyne student accommodation block in Newcastle, in the early hours of Saturday, September 24, last year.

Mr Ray is then alleged to have washed his hands of blood, replaced the knife in the communal kitchen of the accommodation block, before leaving the flat.

Newcastle Crown Court was shown subsequent footage from CCTV cameras in the city centre as the defendant made his way on foot to a taxi rank outside the city's Central Station, where he got into a cab.

Read more: Sunderland student remains in custody pending March murder trial

He was dropped off by the taxi at his family home, in Mayfield Road, South Hylton, Sunderland, at 5am.

David Lamb KC, prosecuting, said it was three days later, on the afternoon of Tuesday September 27, that an assistant hospitality manager at Mansion Tyne received a message asking her to check on Mr Brockbanks, as his parents had contacted the accommodation provider expressing concern for his welfare.

Using a master card, she entered his fourth-floor room to find the tv switched on and the bed unmade.

There were brown blotches on the floor and bed headboard, plus a blood-stained hand mark on the en-suite bathroom door.

When she entered the bathroom, she found the body of a male in a shower, wearing only blood-stained underwear, with his feet hanging out of the cubicle. He did not appear to be breathing.

Mr Lamb told the trial jury that the body was that of Mr Brockbanks, who, by then, was in a partial state of decomposition.

The assistant left the room and contacted her manager asking her to contact police.

Two officers and other emergency services soon arrived on scene to attend to Mr Brockbanks.

A paramedic confirmed the death of the 24-year-old Northumbria University student, from Whitehaven in Cumbria, at 4.40pm that day.

The court heard that he had only moved into Mansion House on September 14, prior to the start of the new university term.

Read more: Jason Brockbanks murder: Sunderland man, 21, denies killing student

Mr Lamb said a pathologist confirmed death was from the stab wound to the right side of his torso which would have pierced blood vessels within the deceased’s intestines.

Two further stab wounds were found between the shoulder blades on his back.

Mr Lamb said the evidence suggested he may have been stabbed while in bed, under the duvet, before crawling to the bathroom and slumping into the shower cubicle.

The defendant was arrested in the early hours of September 29 at his family home in Sunderland.

Footage found on his phone from the early hours of September 24 showed him filming himself scrolling through Mr Brockbanks’ phone in the bathroom of the deceased’s flat and recording messages from other men.

Mr Lamb said it was that discovery which the prosecution believes was “the trigger” to the killing, thought to have taken place some time after 4.14am, when the scrolling ended.

In interview the defendant claimed that it was Mr Brockbanks, who he described as having been “mortal drunk”, who attacked him when he confronted him about the messages.

Mr Ray said he reacted by taking the knife, which was on Mr Brockbanks’ desk, and told police that he then, did “that”, making a slashing motion, which caused the victim to fall onto the bed.

As Mr Brockbanks still had hold of him, he said he then “came down”, making a further slashing motion, into his abdomen.

After this he said he, “grabbed” his things and left the flat.

He later told police he and Mr Brockbanks had been together for three months after meeting on the dating app Grindr.

On the night of the fatal attack he claimed Mr Brockbanks called him a “psycho” and hit him on the head and neck.

Seeing the knife, and in a defensive gesture, he grabbed it and slashed at him, with the knife falling across his stomach.

He said Mr Brockbanks was still shouting for him to get out, which he did, after grabbing his possessions.

Read next:

               Newcastle student murder: Sunderland man, 21, appears in court

               Man in court charged with murder of Northumbria University student

               Newcastle murder probe: 21-year-old charged after death of man in flats

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Mr Lamb told the jury it, “it remains a possibility” that Mr Brockbanks may have survived had he received prompt medical attention, but he said Mr Ray did not ring the emergency services.

The 21-year-old defendant denies a charge of murder.

His case is expected to run for the rest of the week.