Colchester rapper death: Two men deny murder and wounding with intent

An aspiring rapper was fatally stabbed with a knife that caused a 28cm (11in) wound through his upper arm to his heart, a court has heard.

Alinjavwa Siwale, 22, also known as Swizzino, died at his house in Affleck Road, Colchester, on 11 December.

His brother Suwilanji Siwale, 19, was also stabbed in the attack, which took place at about 00:14 GMT.

Sheldon Mckay, 25, and Phoenix Lee, 19, have pleaded not guilty to both murder and wounding with intent.

Opening the trial at Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday, prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff QC said paramedics were called by a neighbour to the house where they found both brothers with knife wounds.

A post-mortem report said the cause of Mr Siwale's death was hypovolemic shock caused by extensive loss of blood from the stabbing.

The court was told the knife used against him had a serrated edge and was possibly 28cm long.

It punctured both his lungs, causing them to collapse, and severed the arch of his heart's aorta.

Suwilanji Siwale was found with a temple wound and was treated in hospital, the court was told.

The prosecutor said in the weeks before his death, Alinjavwa Siwale had told his music manager and "confidante" that he wanted to move from Colchester to Chelmsford as some youths had been troubling him.

He had allegedly been involved in a fight with both defendants outside a probation office.

Mr Siwale was said to have been talented in making hip-hop, drill and R&B music.

He had rapped in a song about the animosity with one of the defendants, Mr Lee, which Mr Lee and others were aware of, the prosecutor said.

The trial continues.

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