A teenager charged with the murder of a Norfolk 18-year-old in Ipswich ‘effectively’ admitted he was the man filmed on CCTV wielding a machete at the scene, a court has heard.

Joshua Howell, 18, of Wellington Street, Ipswich, told a social worker that he had not been involved in the alleged murder but the court heard he admitted he had been “at the wrong place at the wrong time” when it happened.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that with co-defendant Alfie Hammett, 19, of Larkhill Rise, Rushmere St Andrew, Howell had confronted the victim Raymond James Quigley and his two friends in Westgate Street, in the centre of Ipswich, on January 17 this year.

Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said Hammett stabbed Mr Quigley - who was known as James - but he added Howell also pulled out what jurors might also think is a machete “and so armed and providing an intimidating presence prevented any of Mr Quigley’s friends from intervening to help”.

The court then heard that Howell chased one of those friends at knifepoint into a nearby JD Sports shop to make sure the friend could do nothing to help and this allowed Hammett to kill Mr Quigley.

The prosecutor told the court that Howell had told the social worker that at the time of the stabbing he had run into JD Sports and that since only two people ran into the shop, including Mr Quigley’s friend, that ‘effectively’ meant Howell had admitted to the social worker he was the one wielding the machete.  

Mr Jackson said even though Howell had not stabbed Mr Quigley he was also guilty of his murder because he said murder is committed when one person or persons who act together causes the death of a person unlawfully.

Norwich Evening News: A police cordon was in place in Westgate Street, Ipswich, on January 18A police cordon was in place in Westgate Street, Ipswich, on January 18 (Image: Newsquest)

The court also heard that Howell had bought a ticket to Kenya after he had been charged.

It also heard that his fellow defendant Hammett had attempted to wipe his phone by factory resetting it when police turned up at his house to arrest him in January.

Earlier in the first day of the murder trial, which started on Tuesday after a jury had been sworn in, a "deep-rooted" feud between Norfolk gangs was said to be crucial to the prosecution's case.

The court was told that Mr Quigley, from Wymondham, was associated with Norwich gang On the Money while Hammett was from the Third Side gang, also from the city.

Howell, meanwhile, was said to be associated with the Nacton, or IP3, gang, from Ipswich.

Howell and Hammett have both denied murder.

The trial continues.