Teen said 'we killing people' after joint attack in Norwich

Achilles Lawrence Gate’te and Codie Marjoram, both 19, are accused of a “joint enterprise” to commit acts of violence in the city centre in the early hours of March 19 last year.

Norwich Crown Court heard how Gate’te sent a text message saying “we killing people” to a friend minutes after one of the attacks.

Will Carter, prosecuting, said that victim, David Constant, was left with serious brain injuries and had to have part of his skull removed by doctors.

He told the court Mr Constant was "taken off his feet" by a punch delivered with force by Gate'te on St Vedast Street, off Prince of Wales Road, resulting in the victim falling backwards.

Mr Constant's head "made contact with the pavement on landing" with a "loud cracking sound" being "heard across the street by bystanders".

The victim suffered "extremely serious head injuries" as a result of the attack, following which his friends called 999.

He arrived at hospital at 2.55am but was transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge to be treated for "significant and traumatic brain injuries".

Gate'te, of Cunningham Road, Norwich, has gone on trial having denied one count of causing grievous bodily harm and one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm on March 19 last year.

He has also denied five counts of assault by beating against five other victims on the same date.

Marjoram, of Calthorpe Road, Norwich, has denied one count of causing grievous bodily harm and one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the same date.

He has also denied assault by beating against three other victims.

Opening the prosecution case on Tuesday (March 21) Mr Carter said following the attack a large piece of Mr Constant's skull was removed to allow doctors to ease blood clots on his brain.

Mr Carter said Mr Constant and his friends had been "out for a good time and not out looking for trouble at all" but the defendants, in contrast, had been "looking for trouble".

After visiting the Mischief pub and the Loft nightclub Mr Constant had been trying to get a taxi for a female member of the group who was "really quite drunk".

The jury panel heard they had been waiting on St Vedast Street for a few minutes when they came into contact with the two defendants.

As Gate'te and Marjoram approached Mr Constant said something like "what's up" to the two defendants who became "immediately confrontational".

Mr Carter said Gate'te got "in his face" before putting his arm around the victim's shoulder and neck, trying to "cajole and force him around the corner" although the victim resisted and "didn't want any trouble".

One of Mr Constant's group went over to assist but was punched in the face before the defendants walked off.

Mr Carter said "they could simply have walked on, but they didn't".

He said Mr Constant and his friends had "absolutely no reason to think that these two would return, but return they did and they returned very shortly afterwards."

Following the attack on Mr Constant at about 3am Gate'te tried to get in the back door of another night club, Qube, but was stopped by a member of staff who was allegedly assaulted.

A customer intervened but was also allegedly assaulted by Gate'te who was later arrested for being drunk and disorderly and taken into custody where his phone was seized.

Mr Carter said it would be for the jury to decide what the "We killing people" message says about what the defendant was involved in during the early hours of the morning.

He said it was the prosecution's case that they "acted together" and had plainly been "encouraging and assisting each other" in what he described as a "joint enterprise to commit these acts of violence"

The trial continues.