Murder trial jury retires to consider verdicts over two men accused of killing 21-year-old man Tcherno Ly during Chapeltown Carnival celebrations

Tcherno Ly, 21, died from a stab wound to his chest during the incident on Chapeltown Road as the area was packed with people celebrating the annual event on August 25 last year.

Beni Nami, 20, and Hussein Semusu, 21, are on trial at Leeds Crown Court accused of murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

Both men deny the charges.

The prosecution case is that Nami inflicted the fatal knife wound before fleeing the scene with his friend Semusu, who is alleged to have encouraged the stabbing.

During the trial at Leeds Crown Court Nicholas Lumley QC, prosecuting, said: "The Chapeltown Carnival, or Leeds Carnival, was in full swing when these two young men deliberately stabbed another young man, Tcherno Ly, on Chapeltown Road.

"The stabbing was quickly and forcefully achieved and so too was the death of Tcherno Ly, he could not have survived the attack."

Mr Lumley told the jury Nami has admitted being involved with Mr Ly in the moments around the killing and has admitted punching him.

The court was told Semusu was present when the killing happened.

The prosecutor said: "He was very close to the events and was plainly a part of them, encouraging Beni Nami, sharing his desire to cause serious harm to Tcherno Ly, if not kill him.

"The issue for you in this case is whether he was involved as part of the deliberate attack or was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The court heard Nami and Mr Ly had fought with each other on August 10 and Mr Ly sustained an injury to his mouth.

Nami later described the incident as a fight which he had won

The stabbing took place near to Button Hill.

Mr Lumley said: "The actual stabbing cannot be seen on the (CCTV) footage. The precise roles, therefore, of these two men may never be known.

"What is clear, is that these two young men, quickly and together, slip away from the scene."

My Ly was already unresponsive by the time police and paramedics arrived on the scene.

He suffered a single stab wound to the left side of his chest which cut through major blood vessels.

Nami was also injured during the incident and his clothing had damage consistent with being damaged by a knife.

A knife was found at the scene which contained Mr Ly's DNA on the handle and Mr Nami's DNA on the blade.

Mr Lumley said the forensic evidence from the knife was consistent with the weapon being used by Mr Ly to injure Nami.

He said: "Tcherno Ly may not have been entirely innocent; there being no good reason to be armed in that way.

"But it has not, not yet at least, been suggested that either of these defendants had to stab Tcherno Ly in order to defend themselves, or others nearby.

A second knife was found at Nami's home on Nassau Place, Chapeltown.

It had been cleaned but Mr Nami's blood was recovered from the weapon by forensic officers.

Mr Lumley said it is the Crown's case that the weapon had been used to inflict the fatal injury.

When interviewed by police Nami told officers he had been approached by Mr Ly who asked him if he wanted to fight.

Nami said he punched Mr Ly twice after he swung at him.

Semusu, of Grange Avenue, Chapeltown, said he was in Potternewton Park for much of the evening with his girlfriend.

Proceeding.