Boy confessed to girl he killed ex-friend - court

A teenage boy stabbed a former friend with a pocketknife in east London then confessed to an online girlfriend he killed him "by accident", a court has heard.

Pharrell Garcia, 15, suffered a single stab wound to the heart in Stellman Close, Hackney, in July 2024.

The boy - who was also aged 15 at the time and cannot be identified for legal reasons - had chased Pharrell after inflicting the fatal wound, jurors at the Old Bailey heard.

The teenager, now 16, denies murdering Pharrell as well as an alternative charge of manslaughter.

The prosecution told the court it was only after the victim collapsed that the boy fled the scene and threw away the knife.

Members of the public and paramedics had tried to save Pharrell, but he died at the scene.

The boy went on to phone a girl, who he only knew online, and allegedly told her: "I think I just killed Pharrell.

"I stabbed him in the heart by accident, but I was meant to stab his leg."

The court was told the defendant had admitted stabbing Pharrell, but claimed he had acted in self-defence.

Opening his trial on Tuesday, prosecutor Mark Fenhalls KC said Pharrell had been stabbed with a multi-tool pocketknife, which the defendant claimed had been brought to the scene by the victim.

As part of the investigation into Pharrell's death, police interviewed a girl who had been in Nando's with her grandmother when the defendant rang about the stabbing.

In the lead-up to the incident, she said Pharrell had said of the defendant that he could "beat him up at any time".

She was on her way to visit her grandmother when the defendant allegedly rang to say "I'm fighting Pharrell today", the court was told.

She tried to dissuade him, saying "there's no point doing anything to him", according to her account.

The girl went on: "Then I'm at Nando's with my Nan and then (the defendant) calls me and he's like 'I think I just killed Pharrell'.

"And I was like 'don't lie' because I didn't believe it. Like I was pretty shocked...

"He was like 'I think I just killed Pharrell. I stabbed him in the heart by accident, but I was meant to stab his leg'."

Mr Fenhalls pointed out that on the girl's account it appeared that both boys were planning a fight of some sort.

Following his arrest the day after the killing, the defendant provided a prepared statement in which he described how he "fell out" with Pharrell.

He told police the victim had "always harboured a grudge" towards him and was "obsessed with gangs and knives".

He also claimed to have video footage on his phone of Pharrell threatening to "shank" him, the court was told.

Describing his version of events, the defendant stated: "He approached me on Tuesday and told me, again, he had a problem with me. He pulled a knife out of his sock and went to attack me.

"I was scared for my life and acted instinctively to defend myself. He is bigger and heavier build than me and I have a broken hand in cast that needs more surgery.

"I managed to get the knife off of him and struck him just once. I was terrified I was going to die and acted in self-defence to stop him. I had no intention to kill him or do serious harm - only to save my own life."

Mr Fenhalls told jurors to consider why the defendant had stabbed Pharrell after disarming him rather than running away.

He said: "Once that knife is in (the defendant's) hand, where is the risk? Where is the threat? Where is the fear?"

Having stabbed Pharrell, the prosecutor also questioned why the defendant then chased him and only made off once the boy had collapsed.

The trial continues.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]