Murder accused's mum 'told police where knife was'

The mum of a teenager accused of murder told police where her son allegedly hid a knife, a trial has heard.

A 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is on trial at Bristol Crown Court charged with the murder of Shayne Hambakachere, from Chippenham in Wiltshire, who was fatally stabbed in January.

On Tuesday, the court was told the unnamed teenager, who denies murder, filmed the attack on his phone.

Earlier, prosecutor Sarah Jones KC asked the boy's mum if he had told her "what he done with the knife" in a phone call to which she replied "yes", followed by confirmation she had passed this information to the police.

The boy's mum told the court she had been in the bath when she heard raised voices outside on the day of Shayne's death.

"I could hear arguing," she said. "It didn't sound like a nice conversation."

When her son came home, she didn't notice anything amiss until police arrived and arrested him. Officers told her he had "stabbed somebody" and she said she was "in shock" at the news.

On 6 February, her son called and revealed the location of the knife. When his mum said she would pass on this information to the police, he responded "OK."

The knife was found in its sheath in a derelict care home.

The accused boy's mum told the court her son had been asked to deal drugs by an older student, which led to a suspension at school.

From that point, his friendship group changed "dramatically".

"It gradually happened," she said. "The first sign was he started dressing differently. He only wanted to be in Nike tracksuits."

He also got in trouble for fighting at school in 2024. His mum said the incident stemmed from a racial slur directed at one of his relatives.

The boy's mum also told the court she was "scared" of feuds between her son and other young people who allegedly threatened him. She told her son "they will never stop until you are dead" and contacted police.

The charity Escapeline, which prevents the criminal and sexual exploitation of young people by gangs, had offered support to the family.

The accused lived at home in Chippenham with his mother and young sister, the court was told. His mum explained he met his birth father just once and his parents separated when he was one.

In 2022, a relationship between his mother and her husband ended.

Under questioning from Charles Row, acting for the defence, the boy's mother told the court: "He [my son] was absolutely devastated. He couldn't stop crying. He kept himself locked in his room a lot.

"He also asked me a question which really surprised me, he said 'are we going to be poor now? I was very financially dependent on my husband."

Row also asked the boy's mum about an incident where she had received texts from a friend's dad to offer her son work at a construction site in Swindon.

She agreed to the offer and later received texts to say he had been "very helpful" at work.

But the court was told she later found out her son had not been working, and had instead been dealing drugs in Swindon.

She told the court he was "so frightened" of other boys that when he was at home he would never open his windows or blinds, which led to mould growing on the walls.

Earlier, a statement was read out from Andrew Clayton, who stopped at the scene with his wife Amy and helped contact the emergency services.

"The male stood up, staggered a few steps and collapsed again," he said. "He was increasingly struggling to breathe."

A Great Western Air Ambulance helicopter was deployed to the scene, the court was told, where paramedics found Shayne "awake and panicked" with a weak pulse.

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