Clacton murder trial: 'Harry Burkett stabbing captured on CCTV'

Harry Burkett, 21, was stabbed once through the heart on the evening of Saturday, September 11, last year in Orwell Road, Clacton.

A 16-year-old boy, from Clacton, who can’t be named for legal reasons, is charged with his murder.

Opening a trial before a jury of six men and six women, prosecutor Simon Spence QC said the teenage defendant had ventured into his flat to arm himself with a knife.

“The incident was captured on CCTV, as was much of the activities earlier on that evening and the lead up to what took place,” he said.

“You will see, when you view the CCTV during the course of this trial, that an altercation between those two young men undoubtedly took place.

"At the time Harry Burkett had a bottle of beer in his hand, as he had done for most of the evening.

“You will want to consider, first of all if you’re sure of it, why the defendant was armed with a knife at all that night.

“You will want to consider whether, as we suggest, he went into his flat before re-emerging specifically to arm himself with it.”

Read more: Teenager set to deny murdering 'kind and beautiful' young man

Mr Spence said the jury would consider whether the stabbing was the act of “somebody who was reasonably defending himself”.

He added: “Or whether in fact, as we suggest, whilst undoubtedly facing an angry Harry Burkett, he was standing his ground - armed and ready to strike with his knife.”

Mr Spence told the jury “the core” of the Crown’s case rests on extensive CCTV footage seized by the police during their investigation.

The analysis of the footage will follow Mr Burkett through Clacton as the night progressed.

Mr Spence said Mr Burkett had initially travelled to Clacton from Grays earlier that day alongside a friend, in order to meet a girl he had been talking to for three weeks.

Police view a tribute to Harry in Clacton

The footage shows Mr Burkett and his friend arrive at a seafront pub at around 8pm with two girls.

As the night progressed, Mr Burkett and his friend encountered another group in Pier Avenue.

Mr Spence said the cameras captured a confrontation which soon followed in the area around Orwell Road, during which the teenage defendant produced a knife and stabbed Mr Burkett.

He said: "You'll see clearly in the moving footage, [the defendant's] left hand is tucked into a pocket on the front of his hoody and so the hand is no longer visible.

"In that brief moment, we say [the defendant] has taken a knife out from the pouch on the front of his hoody and stabbed Harry Burkett with it."

Mr Spence said Mr Burkett was able to flee, running along Rosemary Road until he collapsed outside a bookmaker's.

"That's as far as Mr Burkett makes it before collapsing to the floor," he said.

Mr Burkett was taken to Colchester Hospital, but was declared dead in the early hours of Sunday, September 12.

A pathologist found he had suffered a single stab wound, which penetrated his left lung and heart.

The knife has never been found.

Mr Spence said the 16-year-old defendant left his home in Clacton after the stabbing, but was "tracked down" by police to an address in Ipswich on September 15, where he was found hiding behind a curtain.

He answered no comment to all questions asked in police interview.

The teenager denies charges of murder, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a knife.

• The trial continues.