Gordon Gault death: Accused killer joined group to 'look hard'

A teenager accused of murdering a 14-year-old boy in a group attack went out with the others to "look hard", a court has heard.

Gordon Gault died in hospital six days after being fatally struck with a machete in Newcastle in November 2022.

Six youths, now aged 16 to 18, deny murder and wounding a 17-year-old boy.

Defendant Daniel Lacerda told Newcastle Crown Court they went to rival territory to look "intimidating", hours after one of them was attacked.

Prosecutors said Gordon and the injured boy were attacked by the defendants on 9 November in revenge for the earlier attack.

Jurors have heard a feud between two rival groups began in the summer of 2022 with them making rap videos mocking each other.

Two of the defendants, aged 16 and 17, are unable to be identified because of their age. The others, who are all 18, are:

Mr Lacerda admitted he had sent messages to his friends saying they should contact him if they were planning to "glide", which meant going to rival territory.

He also repeatedly warned his friends "not to be caught lacking", which prosecutors said meant they shouldn't allow themselves to be caught unawares by attackers or without a weapon.

The court heard Benedict Mbala made multiple calls to Mr Lacerda on the afternoon of 9 November after the former had been attacked by youths at about lunchtime.

In his defence statement prepared before the trial, Mr Lacerda said he went out later that day to meet Mr Mbala and some others to "commiserate" with him over the attack and smoke some cannabis.

Under cross-examination by prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC, Mr Lacerda said they went to Eslwick Park to "look hard" and so they did not "look scared" after the earlier attack on Mr Mbala, which had been filmed and shared on social media.

Mr Lacerda said they planned to take pictures to share on Snapchat of them looking "intimidating", with Mr Mbala supported by a "big group" around him.

He denied the prosecutor's assertion that the group waited in the park for someone to attack or that they had gone out to target someone.

Mr Lacerda said he had not gone for violence and fled when rivals started gathering.

He said he did not see Gordon, who was riding pillion on a bike, get stabbed on Wetsmorland Road by co-defendant Carlos Neto.

The trial continues.

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