Simpson accused found with 'murder' weapon, court told

2:05pm Tuesday 17th June 2008

The teen accused of killing a promising student was found by police with the murder weapon, a court heard.

The Old Bailey was told today that after stabbing Sian Simpson once Chelsea Bennett was found in her best friend's Saxo trying to conceal a steak knife.

Brian Altman, prosecuting, told the jury the knife had traces of both Bennett's and Ms Simpson's DNA on it.

Officers recovered two other knives from the scene along with a green glass bottle believed to have been used in the row.

The court heard Ms Simpson, a Carshalton College student, died after being stabbed once in the chest on June 17, last year.

The jury heard that Ms Simpson was knifed by Bennett during a row over a man in Mann Close, off Scarbrook Road.

The defendant claims it was Ms Simpson who had brought the knife to the row, and she had grabbed it during a scuffle after it had been dropped to the floor.

"What his defendant did was not in self defence and nothing like it," Mr Altman told the court.

"Not only was the defendant being aggressive, but she had rearmed herself with the knife and she intended to use it."

The fight had revolved around Nathan Davidson who had fathered a child with Chantelle Campbell - a woman Ms Simpson regarded as a cousin - but was at the time of the killing was in a relationship with Bennett's pregnant best friend Danielle Cooke.

Taking the stand today Mr Davidson said Ms Campbell and Ms Cooke did not like each other, and out of loyalty to her pal, Bennett was hostile to his former girlfriend.

Mr Davidson told the court he had met up with Ms Campbell at his mum's house in Mann Close where they talked about him visiting his four-month-old baby.

He said Ms Cooke had called him and guessed he had been with Ms Campbell.

Ms Cooke continued to call him, but he decided to ignore her phone calls.

Ms Cooke and Bennett then decided to go to Mr Davidson's mum's home where they began shouting outside the flat, the court heard.

Mr Altman told the court: "This defendant was making gestures and shouting up to Chantelle who came out onto the balcony. The defendant was trying to get her to come outside."

Mr Davidson managed to convince the pair to leave, while Ms Campbell, who was inside the flat, contacted her friends, the jury was told.

One of those friends was Ms Simpson who arrived at around the same time that Ms Cooke and Bennett decided to return to Mann Close.

The court heard a heated argument broke out between the two groups of girls about 7.50pm.

Mr Altman explained that Bennett was heard to shout that she was going to kill Simpson.

He said: "With the words 'come on', she confronted Sian with the knife.

"Although there is some evidence Sian had a knife at some point, by the time she was confronted by the defendant, she no longer had it.

"She was stabbed by the defendant when she was unarmed and had retreated from the fight.

"This was not self defence and therefore murder."

Bennett of Gilroy Court Hotel, London Road, Croydon, denies murder.

The trial continues.