The jury in the Sam Davies murder trial has been shown a bloodied knife and sheath.
The Crown Prosecution Service says the Rambo-style knife was the one used to fatally stab 23-year-old Mr Davies in Lincoln on May 27 last year.
Eimantas Gochman, who was 19 at the time, is said to have agreed to be paid to carry out the attack in a park between Coleridge Gardens and Browning Drive.
It’s alleged he then put the knife back in the sheath and ran off with it along Browning Drive.
The knife shown to the jury on Friday, February 11, was found in the grounds of the retirement complex Cathedral View Court in Cabourne Avenue.
Earlier in the trial it had been said the knife was recovered from the grounds of the nearby Our Lady of Lincoln Roman Catholic Church but, under cross-examination, a detective agreed that was incorrect.
Gochman is one of seven males on trial at Nottingham Crown Court for murder.
As part of the continuing prosecution case, clips of phone calls made by co-defendant Charlie Wakefield from prison to his mother, sister and friends were played to the court.
In one call on July 16 last year, Wakefield – who was on an electronically monitored night-time home curfew at the time of the killing – is urged by his sister to tell the truth about what he knows of Gochman’s movements on the night in question.
Earlier in the trial the jury heard a police interview in which Wakefield said Gochman was with him at his house from about 9pm and did not leave until about 8.30am. The stabbing happened just after 10.45pm.
Flowers and a teddy left on the railings near the scene where Sam Davies was killed. | Photo: The Lincolnite
In the phone call, Wakefield’s sister said: “I can’t say if Goch did it, I don’t know if you know Goch did it.”
She added: “You can’t give Goch an alibi or you will get ****ed for joint enterprise, whether you knew about it or not because they’ll see you as lying.”
“That’s what’s going to **** me up,” said Wakefield. “I’ve already said in the interview that he was there at half nine and all night.”
“You can change it,” says his sister. “What time did he leave?”
“Half eight in the morning,” replies Wakefield.
“You know what I mean,” said his sister.
“I can’t really speak on here,” says Wakefield.
His sister then said: “If you don’t tell the truth, you will be ****ed for joint enterprise.”
She added: “Charlie, you say Goch went out, you don’t know where he went, you don’t know what he was doing.
“If Goch did it, you have to tell them that he left the house and you have to tell them that you’re changing your statement.
“They’ll have CCTV, DNA.
“If you lie for Goch, you are ****ed. Are you really going to do 20 years for him?”
A message with a bunch of flowers left at the scene reads “Too young to be gone. RIP”. | Photo: The Lincolnite
The jury also heard covert recordings of conversations by some of the defendants while being transported between prison and magistrates’ court last year.
The clips included whispers and background noise but members of the jury benefited from transcripts not seen by journalists.
The prosecution case is expected to complete on Monday, February 14.
The trial had been delayed for almost two weeks due to a jury member testing positive for coronavirus but it resumed on Thursday, February 10.
All seven defendants face one count of murder, which they all deny.
They are Billy Gill, 21, of Hatcliffe Gardens; Daniel Heydari, 25, of Chestnut Street; Joe Jameson, 24, of Whitehall Terrace; Eimantas Gochman, 20, of Sturton Close; Eric Kesel, 19, of Browning Drive; and Charlie Wakefield, 21, of Broxholme Gardens.
A 17-year-old boy cannot be legally identified due to his age.
Jameson is also accused of making a threat to kill, which he denies.
The trial continues.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!