Brit ‘narco war’ dealer stamped boy to death in café ‘because he pulled knife’

A two-time convicted drug dealer said he beat a teenager to death "because he pulled a knife out on me", amid a brutal Liverpool narco war.

Keiron Williams, 28, is one of nine defendants currently on trial accused of murdering Michael Toohey at an internet café in Liverpool city centre in April.

The 18-year-old died after allegedly being chased into Mobiles Junction and Internet Café in the city, before being set upon by the gang.

A jury previously heard that the deceased had been pressured into selling drugs by a man referred to only as "Gerry", the Liverpool Echo reports.

The incident came as a backdrop to a "war" between rival dealers.

Williams was the first of the eight men and one youth in the dock to be called to give evidence on Friday, December 2.

On the stand, Williams stated that he had raced to the scene after being told that Mr Toohey had threatened a 14-year-old co-defendant with a knife.

The Echo reported that this youngster had "called in" the gang before the violent incident because Mr Toohey had confronted him and two friends.

"It was to get there and defend the kids and make sure they were ok and safe. Nobody asked me to do anything," he said in court.

Williams said he did not know that others were making their way to the scene as well.

The 28-year-old said that after following him into the shop to confront Mr Toohey about "getting at kids with knives", other men arrived too.

The other men then entered, at which point Mr Toohey retreated to a back room and tried to brandish a knife, according to Williams.

"Toohey reached into his left pocket and has gone to pull something out, and I've hit him. As I've hit him, he's gone to the floor and the lights have gone off.

"He was obviously going to pull the knife out. I've just reacted, it's split seconds. I saw the handle of the knife. I know that he'd just threatened the boy with a knife just before."

When asked what he thought Mr Toohey was going to do, Williams answered: "He was going to stab me. I didn't give him time to stab me."

He added that, thinking he was stamping on the knife, stamped on Mr Toohey. Mr Toohey later died.

All men deny murder and manslaughter. The case continues.

Source: Read Full Article