A TEENAGER became “hysterical” when he learned his brother had died after suffering stab wounds and said “they did this, they killed him”, a court heard.

Alinjavwa Siwale, 22, was stabbed and died in the kitchen of his Colchester home while his younger brother Suwi frantically cried out for help.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Phoenix Lee, 19, and Sheldon McKay, 25, carried out a swift attack “lasting less than two minutes” on December 11 last year.

The court heard after Suwi jumped over a neighbour’s garden fence and shouted for help, he was treated in the back of an ambulance.

Ms Bickerstaff, prosecuting, said: “While he was being treated in the back of the ambulance for a head injury, he told police there were two men in masks.

“He said: ‘My brother and I were upstairs in the bedroom, my brother heard a loud bang downstairs and went to investigate.

“‘I didn’t hear anything so I went to investigate, saw my brother had been stabbed in the chest, there was blood everywhere so I went to my neighbour and called for him to help.’

“He couldn’t recall at that time how he had sustained the injury himself.

“Police officers tried to get more information from Suwi but he wasn’t able to help them.

“I am sure you can understand how traumatic events must have been for him in more than one way.”

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The jury was told Suwi was taken to Colchester Hospital in an ambulance and when a doctor asked him what happened, Suwi made a comment about he and his brother being stabbed while his house was being raided.

Ms Bickerstaff said: “Officers made further attempts to get information from him, but he didn’t want to disclose much about what happened.

“Upon being informed of his brother’s death, he became hysterical, and said: ‘They did this, they killed him’.

The court heard Alinjavwa and Suwi’s mother was escorted to hospital, where she asked Suwi what happened.

Suwi is said to have replied: “I’m not telling anyone anything.”

When officers delivered the news of her son’s death, the mother told them “then and there” Alinjavwa had recently been released from prison.

Ms Bickerstaff said: “She mentioned drug dealing in respect of both sons.”

When the brothers’ phones were recovered, the court heard they revealed their involvement in drug dealing.

In police interview, Suwi told officers his brother had gone downstairs to investigate an “aggressive” banging noise.

He said when he followed a short time later, he found his brother on the kitchen floor unresponsive. He said he jumped out of the lounge window to escape the property.

Suwi said he had been on the phone with a friend just before the incident. Ms Bickerstaff said: “Records show there was a call connected to his phone, which started at 11.50am.

“It was from a female in his contacts and that call only ended at 12.15am, so it was a 25-minute call.”

After handing himself in to police, Lee was found to have a cut above his lip, swelling to his face and a puncture wound to his left arm. McKay suffered a small puncture wound to his back. Lee and McKay, of no fixed address, deny murder and causing grievous bodily harm.