Azaan Kaleem trial: Man 'stabbed in front of girlfriend'

A man was stabbed to death in front of his girlfriend as they walked down a street in Luton, a court has heard.

Prosecutors have alleged that Azaan Kaleem, 18, was attacked in March after "beef" - slang for a disagreement.

Reece Bliss-McGrath, 20; Ross Noon, 18; Harrison Searle, 18; and two teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are on trial at the Old Bailey.

All five have pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff QC told the court Azaan and his girlfriend Shannon Martin had been walking to Luton town centre with a friend on 22 March when a man on a bike started riding towards them.

Ms Martin told the court she recognised the man as Mr Noon, and overheard him say "it's beef", which she took to mean there was a problem between him and Azaan.

Azaan had put his right hand in his jacket to reach for a knife she believed he was carrying, according to Ms Martin.

Mr Noon rode off but Ms Martin said she had "a sense of dread" and felt "something was going to happen" after the encounter, jurors heard.

Minutes later, Azaan was stabbed in Hartsfield Road at about 17:20 GMT. He died two days later at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital.

Two people armed with knives jumped out from a BMW, and an 18-year-old - who cannot be named for legal reasons - confronted Azaan, Ms Martin said.

Jurors heard he said something about "pulling a knife out on his boy", which Ms Martin believed was a reference to the incident with Mr Noon minutes earlier.

Ms Martin told the court she saw the man stab Azaan through his padded coat, and also saw Mr Searle make a stabbing motion towards Azaan's body.

Prosecutors said the two incidents could be linked because moments after a "face-off" with Azaan, Mr Noon had called Mr Searle.

CCTV taken at a petrol station showed the other four defendants in the car, Ms Bickerstaff claimed.

Mr Bliss-McGrath, of Exton Avenue, Luton; Mr Noon, of Abbotswood Road, Luton; Mr Searle, of Derwent Road, Luton; and two men who cannot be named for legal reasons deny all charges.

The trial continues.