Evidence of gangs heard in Telford murder trial
Telephones taken from two of the three teenagers accused of murdering Telford man Peter Cairns had messages linked to possible gang land activity, a court was told.
The phones, which were voluntarily handed in by two of the teenagers who can't be named for legal reasons, had material referencing the 'TF7' gang's Instagram account and also contained messages suggesting a 'meet up' with a rival gang, the jury heard.
Mr Cairns, aged 26, died after an attack in Silkin Way Telford on June 11 last year. The teenagers are standing trial for his murder at Stafford Crown Court.
Lisa Wilding QC, giving details of agreed facts read out the definition of a gang as a group of three or more who are affiliated and recognised by other groups or gangs as such.
Ms Wilding said a number of gangs existed in the Telford area defined by postcodes, TF7 defining the Madeley area and that the iPhone which was voluntarily handed over to police contained contacts and messages about of meeting with people in the TF3 Brookside area and TF4 Dawley area.
She told the court: "One of them spoke about a previous failed meeting which was postponed due to numbers not being even but suggested another meeting to 'have it out'."
The court was earlier told one of the accused was interviewed three times by DC David Jennings of West Mercia Police Major Crime Unit when under arrest shortly after the attack.
He voluntarily agreed to show officers where weapons had been discarded, which included a sword, a machete, a wheel arch and a broken kitchen knife.
A number of trips were made to land off Silkin Way and land close to the main A442 where the defendant showed officers where he thought they had been discarded. The court heard officers used the what3words app to help locate them.
Amongst the agreed facts read out was evidence of blood detected on the clothes worn by the defendants, the handle of the sword and the Aston Villa football shirt worn by the victim matched that of Mr Cairns making it "a billion times more likely than not that it was his".
Fingerprints from one of the defendants were also found on the sword, though DNA evidence on all of the items was inconclusive, the jury heard.
The trial continues.
