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Ben Kinsella ‘blameless’ in brawl that led to his fatal stabbing
Paul Cheston28 Apr 2009
The brother of a former EastEnders actress was the innocent victim of a bar brawl, the Old Bailey heard today.
Ben Kinsella, 16, was stabbed through the heart when he was attacked in the road after leaving the bar, the jury was told. He was stabbed 11 times.
As a result he joined a long list of young men killed by knives in the capital, the court heard.
Nicholas Hilliard QC, prosecuting, said: “Nobody is suggesting he was anything other than totally blameless.
“This was not a war zone far away, this was Islington, in London, in June last year.”
Ben's sister, actress Brooke Kinsella, and their parents Deborah and George sat a few feet from the defendants as Mr Hilliard opened the trial.
Three youths, Jade Braithwaite, now aged 20, Michael Alleyne, 18, and Juress Kika, 19, have pleaded not guilty to murder.
The court heard that Ben had been with friends in the Shillibeers bar in North Road, Islington, when trouble broke out involving other people.
Braithwaite had gestured to the waistband of his trousers “as if he was carrying something”, said Mr Hilliard.
He allegedly threatened a customer: “Tell your boy if he wants trouble, I've got a tool on me and it will open you up,” adding: “I'll stab people up.”
The QC said Braithwaite had repeated the gesture and said: “If you want it, I'm going to give it to you.” As the fight spilled into the street a friend of Braithwaite's was hit by a glass or bottle.
“We cannot say who did that although no one suggests that Ben Kinsella was involved in any of this,” said Mr Hilliard.
Soon afterwards Ben and his group began to walk towards York Way. They were followed by three youths.
“They managed to catch up with Ben, knocked him from his feet at the rear of a parked van and, as he lay on the ground, launched a lethal attack upon him in which a total of 11 stab wounds were inflicted.
“One of them kicked him in the stomach and he fell to the ground. They then circled him, bending down towards him,” said the QC.
One blow penetrated his heart and another caused his lung to collapse. Although he was taken to the Whittington hospital he died the next morning.
The case continues.
Reader views (2)
I Miss You So Much Ben I would Do Anything To Have U Bak If Only I was There To Take The Knife Love + Miss You So Much Babe !! :'( xx R.I.P BABE ALWAYS IN MY HEAR I WILL ALWAYS BE THINKING OF YOU and i will never ever forget you xx
love youuu xx
- Bec ???/?/?? Xxx, Crainleigh/essex xx, 14/07/2009 09:35
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I was very sad to hear this news, any person who is killed unjustly deserves every sympathy afforded them.
Just one thing concerns me, if he was sixteen when stabbed then why was he in the bar in the first place, i thought the legal age to be in a licensed premise was 18, do the door staff or bar staff request to see id or do they just serve anyone who happens to look old enough.
If his parents are so concerned maybe they should have kept him on a tighter leash by doing this he might still be alive. Don't get me wrong it was a disgusting thing to have happened but so unavoidable had his parents pulled their fingers out and thrown a celebration at their residence
- Eiichi, slough,england, 14/06/2009 12:03
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