Barking drug dealer denies organising a van to take teenger’s alleged killers to area of his death
Tavis Spencer-Aitkens. Picture: Supplied by family - Credit: Archant
A 20-year-old drug dealer from Barking has denied organising a van to take Tavis Spencer-Aitken’s alleged killers to the Nacton area of Ipswich on the day of his death.
Giving evidence at Ipswich Crown Court, Adebayo Amusa said he wasn’t aware of a plan to find a member of the Neno gang to attack in revenge for a confrontation in Ipswich town centre earlier in the day.
Amusa, who denies being a member of the rival J-Block gang, denied going in a delivery van with some of his co-defendants to Iris Close, Ipswich, where a metal bar was picked up before going to Packard Avenue where Tavis was stabbed to death.
Amusa denied hitting the teenager with a bottle during the attack and then going in the van to Yeoman Close where a knife used in the attack was dropped into the River Gipping.
During his evidence, Amusa admitted being a drug dealer since the age of 13 or 14.
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He accepted that selling drugs was dangerous and he ran the risk of being robbed by customers or other dealers.
Asked by prosecution counsel, Sarah Przybylska: “How do you protect yourself from being robbed?” He replied: “To be honest I don’t think about it. If it happens it happens.”
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Asked: “Do you feel confident you won’t be robbed because you would be able to defend yourself?” Amusa replied: “I don’t carry a knife.”
In the dock with Amusa, 20, of Sovereign Road, Barking, are Aristote Yenge, 23, of Spring Road, Ipswich, Callum Plaats, 23, of Ipswich, Isaac Calver, 19, of Firmin Close, Ipswich, Leon Glasgow, 42, of no fixed address, and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named because of his age. They all deny murdering 17-year-old Tavis.
During his evidence Amusa claimed he was in the town centre dealing drugs when Tavis was murdered on June 2.
He denied “being deliberately vague” about his movements on the afternoon of Tavis’s death.
It has been alleged the attack on Tavis was the result of rivalry between the two gangs for what J-Block perceived to be a loss of respect following a row between the 16-year-old defendant and Yenge and two of Tavis’s friends during a confrontation in Ipswich town centre.
The trial continues.
