Asda worker heard 'screaming' after witnessing fatal attack outside store

Asda worker heard 'screaming' after witnessing fatal attack outside store

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George Bunn

By George Bunn


Published: 07/02/2024

- 13:26

Nine teenagers deny murdering 20-year-old Bailey Atkinson

A witness in a murder trial said he heard female screaming before spotting a fatal attack near an Asda.

Bailey Atkinson, 20, died from multiple wounds after he was attacked in High Street, Walsall, on January 28 2023.


Prosecutors allege a group of nine teenagers "chased" and "attempted to run over" Atkinson before launching their "murderous" attack on the 20-year-old.

All nine of the current defendants deny murder, BirminghamLive reports.

\u200bBailey Atkinson died in January last year

Bailey Atkinson died in January last year

West Midlands Police

An Asda worker told Nottingham Crown Court that he was outside the store having a cigarette with three other members of staff at about 1.15am when he heard the scream.

He said he heard a female scream before spotting a silver-coloured car "speeding" around the market stalls area. The vehicle then headed towards the Poundland store before the group heard a "bang." He added that he saw the girl "running up the hill" towards the group.

He told the court: "She was running up towards us and she was trying all of the shops, trying to get into the doors. I could not see anyone behind her" adding how he noticed the female for about 30 seconds before she went out of his view.

Jurors then heard how the Asda employee saw a man running "quite fast." He told the court: "He ended up running to a lamppost and then a car came after him. The car had tried to run him over and had blocked his path. The man kept on running away from the car."

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Nottingham Crown Court

The trial continues at Nottingham Crown Court

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The second vehicle was "different" from the one he had initially seen, the man told the murder trial. The witness said he saw two people get out of one of the cars before chasing the man who had been running.

After this, he said the second car "joined in" before a total of "eight or nine" people "jumped out of the cars". The witness added: "They kind of ran towards the man and I saw what I thought was a baseball bat flung up and thrown back down, hitting him."

The court heard how the man recalled hearing "scuffling of feet", shouting and someone saying "no". The witness continued: "Everyone that was out of the cars jumped back into the cars and moved off down the market."

Prosecutor Sophie Murray asked the witness: "What happened to the man who was being attacked?" The Asda worker replied: "He was still on the floor."

A second witness from the Asda told the court: "He was running, trying to get away. He was just trying to get away, dodging and running. The cars were just on his tail. I thought they were trying to run him over."

The woman recalled that people then got out of the cars and "started attacking" with punches and kicks.

She said: "He was backed into a corner." The court heard how the woman then called 999 to raise the alarm with emergency services.

She added: "They just seemed to finish attacking him and jumped into cars and drove away."

\u200bAsda in Walsall town centre (file pic)

Asda in Walsall (file pic)

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The defendants, who all deny the charges, are Patrick Brookes, 18, of Hunter Crescent, Walsall; Ronan McCulloch, 19, of Livingstone Road, Bloxwich; Sonny Loveridge, 19, of Irvine Road, Bloxwich; Nvaah Whitter, 18, of Innovation Way, Walsall, and Benjamin Wilkes, 18, of Guild Avenue, Bloxwich.

Two 16-year-olds, from Walsall, a 17-year-old, from Walsall, and a 17-year-old, from Marston Green, - who cannot be named for legal reasons because of their age - also deny murder.

The trial continues.

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