A teenager stabbed a student to death after a friend made a ‘silly and light-hearted’ comment about his skateboarding skills, a court heard.
Shiloh George Pottinger is accused of murdering 19-year-old Luke O’Connor, in Fallowfield, Manchester, on October 26 last year.
A jury at Manchester Crown Court heard how Pottinger, also 19, used a flick-knife known as a ‘Mafia stiletto’ in the horrific late-night attack after reacting in a ‘violent and unpredictable’ way to the comment.
Following his death, the second-year business management undergraduate’s family paid tribute to the ‘gentle giant’, saying his loss had left a ‘hole in our hearts that will never be filled’.
Mark Ford KC, prosecuting, said Mr O’Connor, a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, was walking home with two friends along Wilmslow Road – in the heart of the city’s student area – just before 2am when they encountered Pottinger.
Shiloh George Pottinger (pictured) is accused of murdering 19-year-old Luke O’Connor, in Fallowfield, Manchester, on October 26 last year
Following the death of Luke O’Connor (pictured) the second-year business management undergraduate’s family paid tribute to the ‘gentle giant’, saying his loss had left a ‘hole in our hearts that will never be filled’
Paramedics treated him at the scene and he was rushed to hospital in cardiac arrest but was pronounced dead at 4.51am. The jury head he’d sustained eight knife wounds causing severe internal injuries, including incisions to his right renal artery and the aorta, and his right kidney had almost been divided in two. His right lung had also collapsed
Pottinger, who was holding a skateboard, was leaning against a shutter near a row of shops and takeaways.
An artist and music producer known as OSU, according to his Spotify page, he has more than 14,000 monthly listeners and his song Let Me Know has been played more than 291,000 times.
Mr Ford said: ‘As they passed the defendant Charlie Robertson [Mr O’Connor’s friend] asked him if he could do a ‘kick-flick.’
‘It was obviously a reference to the fact the defendant had a skateboard and was intended as a silly or light-hearted comment.
‘But the defendant did not take it well. In fact, he reacted in a violent and unpredictable manner.’
Pottinger made a comment back and started walking towards Mr O’Connor, Mr Ford said.
He then took out a flick-knife from his pocket and held it in front of Mr O’Connor’s face, ‘smiling as he did so’.
Mr Ford said Mr O’Connor tried several times to push Pottinger away and ‘step-back’.
But the jury heard the defendant’s response was to hit Mr O’Connor with his skateboard before it flew out of his hand.
Mark Ford KC, prosecuting, told the jury that Mr O’Connor tried to ‘put some distance’ between him and Pottinger (pictured). But it didn’t work, and Pottinger ‘thrust the knife towards Mr O’Connor’s armpit area’, stabbing him through the jacket of his suit
Mr Ford said Pottinger (pictured) fled the scene of the attack and disposed of his jacket and skateboard and washed his clothes in an attempt to avoid detection
Mr Ford told the jury that Mr O’Connor tried to ‘put some distance’ between him and Pottinger.
But it didn’t work, and Pottinger ‘thrust the knife towards Mr O’Connor’s armpit area’, stabbing him through the jacket of his suit.
CCTV footage played to the jury showed how the pair grappled and fell to the ground, with the scuffle continuing in the road.
Mr O’Connor punched the defendant and held on to him, but as he did so Pottinger repeatedly stabbed him to the body, Mr Ford said.
The footage showed Mr Robertson coming to help his friend and briefly becoming ‘entangled’ in the scuffle.
Mr Ford said Mr O’Connor ‘managed to take hold of the defendant and threw himself to the floor, taking the defendant with him’ and this caused the Pottinger to drop his knife.
‘But it was too late. The defendant had already inflicted fatal injuries to Mr. O’Connor,’ he said.
‘As he stood up, it was clear that he had sustained injuries to his torso that were bleeding heavily.’
Distressing footage showed Mr O’Connor, from Bromam, Befordshire, collapsing in the road, covered in blood.
Paramedics treated him at the scene and he was rushed to hospital in cardiac arrest but was pronounced dead at 4.51am.
The jury head he’d sustained eight knife wounds causing severe internal injuries, including incisions to his right renal artery and the aorta, and his right kidney had almost been divided in two.
His right lung had also collapsed.
Mr Ford said Pottinger fled the scene of the attack and disposed of his jacket and skateboard and washed his clothes in an attempt to avoid detection.
The flick-knife was photographed by a paramedic at the scene and later recovered by police.
Mr Ford said Pottinger’s movements earlier in the night, where he gone drinking at a nearby bar after climbing over a wall, showed he didn’t want to ‘risk’ being searched by door staff and the knife being discovered.
Pottinger, from Fallowfield, Manchester, denies a charge of murder.
The trial, expected to last seven days, continues.
