"Ginger giant” murdered in Gosport cocaine robbery by “possessed” brothers who “wanted to get him for ages”
A “loved gentle ginger giant” who was murdered in a Gosport cocaine robbery was stabbed and kicked by two “possessed” brothers who had “wanted to get him for ages”, a court heard.
Eyewitness Claire Hunter told police how Tommy West, 18, and his brother Aiden West, 24, were planning to attack Levi Kent, 22, before he was killed. Jurors at Portsmouth Crown Court heard how the witness became aware of the plan from Snapchat and via an unnamed source within the community.
Tommy West, of Fisgard Road, Gosport, has admitted murder, robbery and possession of a blade. His half-brother Aiden West, of Tudor Close, Gosport, denies murder and possession of a blade.
They were seen running after Levi to rob him of cocaine on November 24 last year after he was lured to shops behind Nobes Avenue after 2am after refusing to defer payment, the court was previously told. The victim was stabbed in his Vauxhall Corsa before attempting to escape and crashing his car into a wall and garages.
Levi was then chased into Keyes Road where he was stabbed in the chest, back, head and side, and kicked in the head, Ms Hunter told police. “Levi looked scared and the (West brothers) looked angry like they were on something. They looked like they were possessed,” she said in her video interview played to the court.
“(Tommy West) had a scowled look…I didn’t see Aiden’s face. You only see this sort of thing (the attack) on TV. You don’t expect to see it (outside your house).”
After telling police she was “one million per cent” sure the attackers were Tommy and Aiden West, she went on to reveal a plot was afoot to harm Levi which she learnt of via Snapchat videos and from a local source. She revealed in an anonymous police questionnaire about the incident that the West brothers had “wanted to get Levi for ages” as well as naming them as the attackers - but did not come forward to police until January, weeks after the murder.
Philippa Mcatasney KC, Aiden West’s defence barrister, interrogated Ms Hunter’s account during an explosive and emotional cross-examination that led to Ms Hunter threatening to leave the witness stand after saying “I’m done” having been repeatedly accused of lying - before judge Michael Bowes KC persuaded her to stay.
Ms Mcatasney, probing on who the source was who told Ms Hunter about a plot from the West brothers to attack Levi, said: “Are you not prepared to tell the jury who this person is?” The witness replied: “No I can’t.”
The lawyer fired back: “It wasn’t true was it?” Ms Hunter replied: “It was true. I don’t lie.”
Ms Hunter had also told police how the West brothers had been “causing chaos in the area for the last few days” prior to the murder, before adding in court they were “shouting and swearing”. After being accused of “not telling the truth” by Ms Mcatasney, the witness said: “What have I got to lie about? What have I got to gain? I’ve PTSD from it.”
When it was put to Ms Hunter that Levi had collapsed in Keyes Road with “no input” from Tommy West, the witness said “absolutely not”.
When the defence barrister suggested Aiden West had not kicked 6ft 4in Levi “eight or nine” times as stated by Ms Hunter, she said, “I’m not wrong”. Referring to her seeing Levi being stabbed seven or eight times, the witness added: “I thought it was about seven or eight times but I could be wrong. I just froze. I couldn’t do anything. I was trying to count.”
The lawyer then suggested Ms Hunter was wrong about her claim of the West brothers laughing during the attack. But the eyewitness, breaking down in tears, said: “They were laughing when they stabbed him and when they were kicking him. How is that fair?”
Under re-questioning from prosecutor Nicholas Haggan KC, Ms Hunter was asked why she now had PTSD, with her replying: “I was watching someone I know being murdered on my doorstep who was loved and respected.”
Asked why she had not told police about what she had seen until January, Ms Hunter said: “I didn’t want anything to come back on me and my children. I was petrified.”
Speaking of Levi, who she did volunteer work with for children’s events several years ago, she called him a “gentle ginger giant” before adding: “He had some trauma in his life and did some silly things and managed to turn it around. No one had a bad word to say about Levi.”
The case also includes other people who have admitted offences or been charged. Peter West, 42, of Fisgard Road, and Michael Figgins, 64, of St Ann's Crescent, are also on trial, with each charged with two counts of assisting an offender.
Other people in the matter include the brothers’ mother Joanne West, 45, of no fixed address, who has admitted two counts of assisting an offender. Liam Savage, 37, of Trinity Green in Gosport, has also admitted two counts of assisting an offender.
Sarah Flynn, 36, of James Close in Gosport, was charged with two counts of assisting an offender.
(Proceeding)