Telford murder case: Samurai sword teenager denies being involved in fatal attack

He is one of three accused of murdering 26-year-old Peter Cairns, who died after an attack in Silkin Way, Telford, on June 11 last year.

The three defendants are also charged with causing assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Kaine Bushell on the same day.

A jury heard how a group of teenagers had passed two unarmed men near what is known as the Aqueduct underpass near Silkin Way, Telford. One man was Kaine Bushell, and the other was Peter Cairns.

The court heard how the teenager, who had been 15 at the time, admitted striking Mr Bushell with a blunt Samurai display sword on the evening of June 11, 2021, and causing a "tramline" bruise on his back.

Mr Bushell, who had been pushing a moped, had seconds earlier been hit with a wheel brace by a friend of the teenager.

The court heard that the incident had turned violent after Mr Bushell had asked the group: "What are you looking at?"

After being hit by a wheel brace Mr Bushell reacted and the teenager said he had felt threatened by him so hit him with the Samurai sword. Mr Bushell was able to run off, the court heard.

Attention then turned to 26-year-old Peter Cairns some 47 metres away. He tried to run off but the court heard he had been hit by a hammer.

The teenager had seen one of his friends "swinging" at the man as if he was stabbing him with a knife, the jury was told..

Lisa Wilding QC, prosecuting, asked the teenager whether he wanted to join in the attack on Mr Cairns, whom the court heard had before being stabbed had been hit on the head by a hammer, and was laying in the bushes.

"Absolutely not," he said.

He said that he was going over to help stop the attack on Mr Cairns.

The court, presided over by Lord Justice Spencer, was told that the Samurai sword and the accused teenager's hands had blood on them.

The teenager said he did not attack Peter Cairns and could not say how blood got on his hands.

"I did not do anything to Peter Cairns. I did not attack him and can't say how blood got there. I did not join in, 100 per cent not," he said.

Later the teenager was asked why he did not stop to help Mr Cairns, whom he knew had been stabbed.

"I saw him getting up," he said.

He said he had had a blunt sword "just to scare, with no intention of using it".

The teenager said he knew it was blunt and it would not harm anyone if it was used.

He claimed that he did not know that others in the group had gone out armed with a hammer, wheelbrace and knives.

When asked why they had decided to go out from Woodside towards Brookside, he said that a friend has asked them to go to the "underpass" and see if anyone was there.

"I do not consider myself a part of a gang," he told the court.

The trial continues.