A GROUP of friends were “listening to music and being happy” in a squat in High Wycombe when two men and a youth came armed with a knife and a tree branch “ready to do violence”, a court was told today.

Jourdan Griffiths, 20, died from a single stab wound to the chest after an incident at Buckinghamshire House, White Hart Street, in June last year.

Mr Donnellan told Reading Crown Court today: “There must have been a discussion about taking such a weapon [the tree branch]."

He added: “They must have known that one of them had a knife and was prepared to use it.

“The prosecution's case is that the defendants went to the squat ready to do violence.”

He said there was ‘no evidence’ that the people inside the squat were violent and said it was "pretty much an open house".

Lotto Williams, 19, formerly of Whitelands Road, High Wycombe, and Christopher Joseph, 22, of Grenfell Avenue, High Wycombe, have both pleaded not guilty to murder.

A 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has also denied the charge.

After he was arrested Joseph told a prison supervisor he “had a plan”, said Mr Donnellan.

“He said he knew who did it but he didn't want to be a grass. He said his best friend who had done it was in the police station,” Mr Donnellan said.

The prosecution say Joseph was referring to Williams in the conversation.

The prosecution’s first witness, Paul O'Heaney, said he had been in the squat with the others but left just before 11pm.

He told the court he saw three black youths, with three BMX bikes, who were looking at the squat from White Hart Street.

Second witness Rocky Thomas said he was one of six people in the squat before there was a knock on the door at about 11pm.

He said they had been “listening to music and being happy”, while some in the group had taken ketamine and smoked cannabis.

Mr Griffiths went to answer the door and came back into the room a few minutes later holding his chest, he said.

He said he lifted Mr Griffiths' top up as he lay in a corner and saw the wound.

Mr Griffiths died in hospital at about 12.45am.

Mr Donnellan said it was a joint attack and the three defendants were "in it together".

And he said: “The evidence may reveal a motive as the trial unfolds.”

The trial continues.

Click the link below for news from yesterday’s hearing.