The jury in the trial of the teenagers accused of the murder of Gordon Gault is still to reach any verdicts and will return to court to resume deliberations once more tomorrow (Friday, January 12).

Following a second full day considering its verdicts, the jury was called back into Court One at Newcastle Crown Court shortly before 4.30pm today (Thursday, January 11).

The trial judge, Mr Justice Martin Spencer, thanked them for their continued hard work but said it was now time to “draw stumps” for the day.

He asked them to return to court to resume their deliberations at 10am tomorrow.

The Northern Echo: Trial of six teenagers accused of the murder of 14-year-old Gordon Gault has begun at Newcastle

The jury was sent out to begin considering its verdicts after the judge concluded his summing up of evidence and legal directions shortly after 3pm on Tuesday.

All six defendants stand accused of the murder of 14-year-old Gordon and wounding a 17-year-old youth with intent.

The charges stem from a confrontation between rival groups of youths from neighbouring areas in the West End of Newcastle, on November 9, 2022.

It was said to have been the culmination of growing tit-for-tat violence and threats between the rival groups, who are connected to the Benwell and Elswick areas of the city.

Gordon Gault was said to have been carrying a baseball bat while riding pillion on an e-bike ridden by another teenager when he was slashed in the arm by one of the defendants, Carlos Neto, on Westmorland Road, near Elswick Park, at about 6.15pm that evening.

A short time later Neto also stabbed a 17-year-old youth in the back, causing serious injuries.

Gordon died in hospital from his injuries six days later.

The court has heard that Neto, now aged 18, inflicted both blows with a machete given to him by co-accused Lawson Natty, also now 18.

It is the prosecution case that they were among a group of six teenagers from the Benwell area who went to Elswick that evening seeking revenge after one of their number, Benedict Mbala, was attacked outside his college in Gateshead, earlier that day.

That attack was filmed and posted on social media.

The defendants, four armed with either a machete, a knife or a hammer, claim they went to Elswick to pose for photographs, also to post on social media, showing them in their rivals' territory to give the impression they were not afraid of the other group.

But after members of the Elswick group began to round on them, near the park, they claim they were retreating at the time and Neto said he used the machete in self-defence fearing he was about to be attacked himself.

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The prosecution case is that even though only Neto struck the two fateful machete blows, one fatal, all six of the defendants were acting in “joint enterprise”, as none would have gone to Elswick without the presence of the others.

Each of the defendants, Natty, of Eastgarth, Newbiggin Hall, Newcastle, Mbala, of St John’s Walk, Newcastle, Neto, of Manchester, but formerly of Newcastle, and Daniel Lacerda, of Paddock Close, Ferryhill, County Durham, all now aged 18, plus 17 and 16-year-old co-accused, denies the murder  of Gordon Gault and wounding the other alleged victim, with intent.

Proceeding.