Alleged Leeds killers 'laughed and took drugs' as Chloe Watson Dransfield lay dying, court told
Police said they were taking nitrous oxide after being told Chloe had died
Teenagers accused of killing Chloe Watson Dransfield on a street in Leeds were “laughing and joking” after being told they were being detained for murder, a court has been told.
Kayla Smith, Archie Rycroft and Blake Dowling are all on trial at Leeds Crown Court for the murder of the 16-year-old in Austhorpe in March.
It is claimed there was a pre-planned fight between Chloe and 18-year-old Smith over Dowling, whom they had both been romantically involved with.
She was fatally stabbed in the back by Smith when she arrived at the scene of the fight.
Opening the case for the prosecution this morning, Mark McKone KC said that after Smith and Rycroft were told by an officer that they were being detained on suspicion of murder, they were jovial and inhaling the illegal drug nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas.
Two others at the scene, who were initially arrested and later released, were also there.
Mr McKone said: “All four people, including Kayla Smith and Archie Rycroft, were laughing and joking. All four were using nitrous oxide in front of the police.”
Following Chloe’s death, samples were taken from both Smith and Rycroft that showed they had taken cannabis and cocaine “although it could be not determined when and in what quantities”, Mr McKone said.
Dowling was tested two days after the killing, and it showed benzoylecgonine in his blood which could have been the remains of previous cocaine use. It could not be confirmed when Dowling last took the drug.
There was also evidence of previous cannabis use in Dowling’s system, the jury was told.
The court previously heard that there had been an ongoing feud between Smith and Chloe because of their relationships with Dowling.
The Crown says a fight had been planned in the early hours of March 28 and the killing was premeditated, with Smith sending messages saying she was going to stab Chloe, who in turn told her she was not scared of her.
Chloe arrived at the house of Smith’s grandfather on Kennerleigh Avenue shortly after 5am. Chloe was with Dowling.
Smith came out to meet her and was holding a 20cm-long knife. Rycroft was stood behind Smith.
The Crown says that after noticing the knife, Chloe tried to turn and run, but her shoes came off.
Smith then is alleged to have chased her down and plunged the knife into her back and neck a total of five times.
However, nobody phoned for an ambulance until 37 minutes after the attack, the jury was told.
Having eventually been taken to hospital, Chloe was tragically pronounced dead at 6.40am.
Smith, of Kennerleigh Avenue, denies murder but admits manslaughter, a plea that has been rejected by the Crown.
Meanwhile 18-year-old Dowling, of no fixed address, and 20-year-old Rycroft, of Middleton Park Road, Leeds, both deny murder and manslaughter.
Mr McKone said it was up to the jury to decide whether Smith had planned to kill Chloe, or at least cause her serious harm.
He also said it was their decision on whether Rycroft and Dowling encouraged the violence and intended Chloe to be caused serious harm.
The trial continues and is expected to last up to four weeks.