A murder jury has heard that a knife - believed to have been used to kill a 21-year-old student - was later found in a garden near the home of a teenager.

The 17-year-old - who can't be named for legal reasons - has denied murdering Andre Bent following a performance by the rapper MoStack at Gallery nightclub in Maidstone.

KMTV with the latest on the trial

Maidstone Crown Court has heard how Mr Bent died from a stab wound in the town centre in August last year.

The University student, who had been celebrating a friend's birthday, was knifed in a fracas later described by one witness as a "Royal Rumble".

A knife - which was shown to the jury - was found near the teenager's home in north London.

It was discovered by officers at the rear of the house near a back gate and has a blade measuring nine inches long with two cutting edges.

The prosecution has alleged the teenager's DNA was found on a sheath and Mr Bent's DNA was discovered by a forensic scientist in nine areas on the blade. The sheath was also shown to the jury.

Jennifer Knight, prosecuting, told the jury: "The scientist considered these findings to be what she would have expected if Andre Bent was stabbed with the knife."

She also alleged traces of DNA from stab victims Patrick Conceicao and Joshua Robinson were also discovered on the knife.

Ms Knight said two other knives were also found near Bank Street and Jubilee Square.

One was a United States marine knife while a black fold away weapon was also retrieved from a drain outside the Brenchley pub.

It is alleged the teenager, who was aged 16 at the time - went to a car and armed himself with a knife, before using a jumper over his head as a disguise.

It is claimed he then attacked four people, including Mr Bent, who was the last of the four to be stabbed.

The teenager denies the murder of Mr Bent, as well as three offences of attempted murder in respect of Lucas Baker, Patrick Conceicao and Joshua Robinson.

Two others Ryan Lowe-White and Ali Aziz are also in the dock with the teenager.

Aziz, later told the police: "I was in Maidstone after the MoStack performance and I saw a fight break out between a group of people I was with and another group.

"I tried to diffuse the situation and break up the fighting but may have been attacked by one or more of the other group and had to defend myself.

"At no time did I know or believe any of the people in my group had weapons or knives. When I left the scene I did not know anyone had been stabbed."

Lowe-White, 31, of Boyton Close, Crouch End, north London, and Ali Aziz, 24, of McCulloch Street, Glasgow, both deny a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Evidence from Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Simon Poole, carried out a post-mortem examination on Mr Bent the day after he died.

He said the fatal wound measured 6.2cm on entry and had an upwards tract, damaging two of Mr Bent's ribs and perforating his left lung, before striking the breastbone at a depth of 21cm.

He added he estimated that "moderate force" was used.

The pathologist said Mr Bent also had what appeared to be "a defensive, superficial cut to his left forearm, possibly caused by instinctively raising his limb to protect himself from the knife".

Dr Poole added: "Given the position of the fatal wound to the left-hand side of the chest and the cut injury to the left forearm, both of those wounds may have been sustained by a single thrust rather than two thrusts with the same knife."

He also told the court Mr Bent would have lost consciousness "fairly rapidly" from the resulting blood loss.

The prosecution has no closed its case and defence is expected to begin tomorrow following lengthy legal arguments.

KMTV report on an earlier hearing

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