Dagenham man on trial accused of murdering Bromley teenager from rival drugs gang
Taylor John Williams, 18, died in hospital. Picture: Hampshire Police - Credit: Hampshire Police
A teenager was “senselessly” stabbed to death by three members of a county lines drugs gang who were attempting to rob a rival gang, a court has heard.
Taylor Williams, from Bromley, died in hospital after he was fatally injured at an address in Basingstoke, Hampshire, on August 31 last year.
Olamide Soyege, 28, of Mayswood Gardens, Dagenham, and Terence Maccabee, 19, of Radnor Road, Peckham, are both on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the murder of the 18-year-old.
The pair are also accused of possessing a knife and, along with Paige Taylor, 23, of no fixed address, with robbery of class A drugs and conspiracy to rob.
Sarah Jones QC, prosecuting, said: "Taylor Williams was just 18 years old and on that day he was stabbed to death it was a senseless death arising out of tensions caused by drugs and drug dealing."
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She said the teenager was both a "participant and a casualty" of the drugs trade.
She said Mr Williams was attacked after the three defendants discovered the "base" of the rival drug gang.
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"They were planning a robbery, that's the only reason for wanting to know where the base is and the drugs and the money so they can exploit that knowledge," said Ms Jones.
She said Mr Soyege and Mr Maccabee entered the flat and locked the door behind them before confronting the occupants.
"Soyege had a black-handled kitchen knife and was pointing it towards them in a threatening way," she said.
"He was seeking drugs from them and was patting them down, he took their phones from them."
Ms Jones said a witness described how Mr Williams pushed Mr Soyege, who punched him back, and a fight developed also involving Mr Maccabee.
She said Mr Williams and another occupant of the flat jumped from a window, adding: "When they landed on the ground outside, they realised Taylor was injured and saw large amounts of blood and realised he had indeed been stabbed."
She added that Mr Maccabee was later found with four stab wounds.
Ms Jones said that, earlier in the evening, the three defendants had robbed a drugs runner after they had made contact with the gang purporting to be customers.
The defendants deny the charges and the trial continues.
