What we've heard in the murder trial of Edward Reeve

Over the last three weeks, jurors at Winchester Crown Court have heard evidence from the prosecution and both defendants in the case.

With the jury expected to retire soon, here is a roundup of what has been heard in court.

PROSECUTION CASE

A 16-year-old from Christchurch and a 17-year-old from Bournemouth are accused of stabbing and slashing Mr Reeve at his home in Heath Road on New Year’s Eve 2021.

Prosecutor Ms Karmy-Jones QC told the court the Christchurch teen was introduced to Mr Reeve two days before the incident, the latter wanting to buy drugs.

She said the defendant saw him as a “vulnerable man” and someone easy to take advantage of.

She said the defendant used Mr Reeve’s address as a place to “hang out” and take drugs, and on New Year’s Eve, invited his co-defendant and three girls to his address.

The accused teenagers then became “agitated” with the victim and “punched holes in the wall”.

“The violence escalated, and they both attacked Mr Reeve, stabbing and slashing his legs, from behind and his face,” Ms Karmy-Jones QC said.

“It's clear that two knives were used. They stabbed, slashed, and grievously attacked Mr Reeve.”

READ MORE: Edward Reeve murder trial: Teens 'bragged' about stabbing

Ms Karmy-Jones QC said the principal injury was to the victim’s stomach which severed the main artery which drained the left kidney.

She said the injuries were “consistent with someone being chased”.

There was also blood found in the garden, bedroom and garage door.

After the incident, the accused teens left the property and caught up with the girls, where they “bragged” about killing Mr Reeve, the court heard.

The Christchurch teen also received a call from a friend in prison, and the two defendants told him they were “family” and had “yinged someone up”.

On January 3, the day before Mr Reeve’s body was found by two concerned friends, the Christchurch teen returned to the address.

He hired a Beryl bike from Hinton Admiral Train Station and travelled to the house, staying there for approximately ten minutes.

The court also heard how both teens had blood on their clothes which had a DNA match to Mr Reeve.

THE CHRISTCHURCH TEEN DEFENCE CASE

The Christchurch teen was the first of the two defendants to give evidence. He accepts stabbing Mr Reeve, telling the jury he stabbed him “three or four” times in the left thigh and buttock in self defence.

He said his co-defendant, the Bournemouth teen, then stabbed and slashed Mr Reeve, telling him he “had his back”.

The Christchurch teen, who stole Mr Reeve’s computer two days before, told the court: “We were all sat there, Ed started asking me about the computer tower and I denied it.

“He started to raise his voice, getting more and more angry, repeating the accusations until he stood up.

“On the table next to the armchair, that's where the dumbbell was. He stood up, grabbed the bar.

“Once I stood up, he started to approach me. At this point, he was talking but he was muttering to himself.

“I went to the piece of furniture and grabbed the knife, there was only two in there, the pink one and shorter blue one, I picked up the shorter blue one.

“I armed myself, I threatened him told him if he was to get closer, I'd stab him.

“He was slowly coming towards me, once he got into range that's when I stabbed him.”

READ MORE: Edward Reeve murder trial: Accused teen says it was 'self defence'

The teenager said he stabbed him three times in the thigh and “backside area”.

“When he turned, it was towards (Bournemouth teen),” he continued. “I was still in the exact same place, I remember (Bournemouth teen) stabbed him in the front of the body.

“I just remember a slash to the face, that's when Ed dropped the dumbbell and put his hands to his face.

“He went for his face again and hit his hands.”

Speaking of returning to the property, the Christchurch teen said he wanted to find the “outcome” of what happened.

He said he didn’t enter the property, but “panicked” and paced up and down the driveway.

THE BOURNEMOUTH TEEN DEFENCE CASE

The Bournemouth teen was next up in the witness box to tell jurors his account of what happened.

He said he watched his co-accused grab a knife from the cabinet beside him after a row broke out over the stolen computer.

“(Mr Reeve) was asking him if he stole it. (The Christchurch teen) denied it but he was insistent he took it,” he said.

“They got into a heated argument, Ed started shouting and (the Christchurch teen) was arguing back denying he stole it.

“I didn’t think it would go any further than just a heated argument.

The Bournemouth teen said his co-defendant picked up a knife from a cabinet beside him and stabbed Mr Reeve. He said he didn’t see what colour the knife was.

“He was facing Ed, it was around the front of the body,” he continued.

“It was a matter of seconds, it went so quickly. After he stabbed him a couple of times Ed picked up the dumbbell on the wooden table.

“He held it up like he was going to hit him but after being stabbed that many times he couldn’t.”

The teen said Mr Reeve then fell over onto his front.

READ MORE: Edward Reeve murder trial: Second accused teen gives evidence

“That’s when (Christchurch teen) pulled out a bigger knife from his waistband and stabbed him around the back area,” he said.

Asked why the Bournemouth teen told the prisoner they “yinged someone up”, he said he was “putting on a front”.

He said he was “scared” of his co-defendant and said he “didn’t harm Mr Reeve at all”.

Both teens deny murder, the trial continues.