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Kyle Yule trial: Scott Bodkin describes seeing friend stabbed, punched and stamped on by 10 youths in Gillingham

A teenager has described seeing his friend stabbed, punched and stamped on after being chased by a group of about 10 youths.

Scott Bodkin said Kyle Yule was screaming “help me, help me”, as he was attacked in a friend’s garden in Gillingham.

After the gang ran off, Kyle, who was bleeding heavily, was helped into Lewis Dilallo’s home in East Street, and he died soon afterwards.

Kyle Yule was stabbed to death in Gillingham
Kyle Yule was stabbed to death in Gillingham

Mr Bodkin’s recorded police interview two days after the attack was played to a jury at Maidstone Crown Court where five teenagers are on trial.

Victor Maibvisira, 19, of St John’s Road, Gillingham, three 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old, from Gillingham, Croydon, Sittingbourne and Stevenage, Hertfordshire, all deny murder, an alternative of manslaughter and violent disorder.

Maibvisira and one of the 17-year-olds have admitted threatening “another” with a machete in Gillingham Road, Gillingham, six days earlier on October 1.

Another 17-year-old has denied affray, using unlawful violence, on that date.

Kyle, who was 17, suffered a fatal wound under his right armpit in the violence on Friday, October 6 last year.

Kyle Yule was stabbed to death in Gillingham
Kyle Yule was stabbed to death in Gillingham

Mr Bodkin, 18, said he Kyle and Mr Dilallo had earlier been out for a drive in the town a Renault Clio driven by Gabby Calin in the early evening.

They went to Mr Dilallo’s home where his mother asked him to get her a pizza from Pizza Bello in Victoria Street.

Mr Bodkin said he and Kyle remained in the car while Mr Dilallo and Mr Calin walked to the restaurant to get the food.

Mr Bodkin said after he got out to talk to some people he knew he heard a window in the car smash.

He then saw a black youth slash a tyre on the car, more windows smashed and then a gang of about 10 chase Kyle as he tried to get into Mr Dilallo’s house.

“Kyle was trying to get in,” he said. “Lewis had gone in two minutes earlier with the pizza.

"They were all stamping on him and punching..." - Scott Bodkin

"There were lots of people. Every one of them had their hood up. I saw two or three white people and the rest were black.

“Kyle is in the front garden. They were all stamping on him and punching.

"They were throwing stuff at him. Three or four were in the garden. Others were throwing stuff from the wall.

“I was looking to see where Kyle was. There is a wall in the way.

"Kyle is screaming ‘help, help’. I have never seen them before. I have lived in Gills all my life. I have never seen these people.

“I would recognise the guy who slashed the tyre again. I wouldn’t recognise the others.”

But on April 17 he watched his recorded interview and then told police officers he had recognised Maibvisira, known as Vee.

Asked what he saw him do, he replied: “Being the last one to leave the scene, stamping on Kyle.”

Asked why he had not revealed it earlier, he said: “I wasn’t sure you were going to catch him and I was scared to mention any names during the interview.

“I was scared to give my information in case you didn’t catch the right guy.”

Mr Bodkin continued: “One boy kicked Kyle. He was smaller, about 5ft 4in. Kyle said: ‘That’s enough, that’s enough, Vee, Vee stop’.

"Kyle got up and was screaming. He had blood over his jumper. A neighbour came out of their house. We banged on the door. We got him in the living room.”

Mr Bodkin said Kyle may have tripped on the steps as he ran into the garden and fallen down. He did not see anyone knock him over.

They eventually all “scattered” and ran up the road. Mr Bodkin said he helped Mr Calin move his car. He said he did not know why he moved it.

He ran to Kyle’s house but his mother did not answer. He went back to Mr Dilallo’s home and was told Kyle was dead.

Mr Bodkin said during live evidence he had watched what happened from across the road.

“I saw a throwing action or punching,” he said. “About five or six people were doing that. I see a throwing motion.”

Mr Bodkin agreed with Jonathan Higgs, QC for the 16-year-old, it was obvious Kyle was seriously injured.

The teenager said two or three people were in the garden with Kyle, while another four or five were outside “throwing stuff”. Two or three remained in the road.

The whole incident took about a minute, he thought.

Mr Higgs said: “You are not counting on your fingers, you are watching a horrific incident that is very fast.”

He agreed with Peter Doyle, QC for one of the 17-year-olds, that he admitted to knowing Maibvisira on April 17 because he wanted justice for Kyle.

“I said I didn’t believe they were from the local area,” he said. “That is not quite the case because someone I know as Vee was there that night and was involved in attacking Kyle.”

Mr Doyle said he had described that person as the first to run into the garden and attack Kyle and that he was the last to leave and was stamping on him.

Mr Bodkin agreed he knew Vee was local and that he had seen him around Gillingham High Street. He also agreed he did not want to be seen as a “snitch”.

The trial continues.

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