Man denies murder after victim stabbed twice

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Plymouth.

Tahla Redwan, 20, of Hackney, London, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court on Tuesday and denied murdering Shane Sweet.

The 36-year-old was found stabbed to death in Cambridge Road on the afternoon of 4 November.

The prosecutor Jane Osborne KC told the court Mr Redwan had been the person who stabbed Mr Sweet but his case was that he had defended himself from Mr Sweet and a male friend of the victim.

The court heard Mr Sweet had sustained two knife wounds to his heart and had no defensive injuries.

It was told Mr Redwan had spent a considerable amount of time in Plymouth from his East London home to supply drugs including cocaine and heroin.

The jury was told Mr Sweet and his friend had contacted a drugs phone line to source class A drugs.

The jury heard Mr Sweet had armed himself with a white plastic mallet while his friend held a bottle of Lucozade.

The prosecution said residents and motorists had reported a physical fight and said they had seen Mr Sweet collapse.

The court heard Mr Redwan ran off.

A blade had been found under a car in Cambridge Road and a mallet was later found in the area, the court heard.

The Crown said a handle of a knife had been found later in a large waste bin in a neighbouring street, and it was part of the same knife.

Mr Redwan was arrested outside his home in London, the court heard.

He prepared a statement at police interview and said his actions had been in order to protect himself because he had been attacked.

He said he had not intended to cause really serious harm but accepted he had stabbed Mr Sweet twice in the chest as the defendant defended himself.

The trial continues.

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