Murder accused was 'terrified after Tommy Boom jumped out of bushes to rob him', Northampton Crown Court hears

Day two of the trial of two men accused of fatally stabbing Tommy Boom has started today (Wednesday, January 8) at Northampton Crown Court.

Mr Boom, aged 31, died shortly after midnight on Thursday, July 18, after being stabbed in Millers Meadow, known locally as Semilong Park.

Defendants Daniel Larman, 21, and Kieran Okocha-Sleight, 21, both previously of Paget House in Kings Heath, deny the charge of murder following Mr Boom’s death in July last year.

During cross-examination, Michael Magarian KC, representing murder accused Daniel Larman, questioned a homeless woman, the key eyewitness in the fatal stabbing of Mr Boom.

Yesterday (Tuesday) the court was played her police video interview in which she says Mr Boom wanted to rob rival drug dealers that night.

She said she had met Tommy at the park to buy crack and heroin. Tommy was accompanied by Dequalm Gale, who is reportedly around 21 years old and known as ‘Amazon,’ who the homeless woman said Mr Boom was working for to sell drugs.

In court today (Wednesday) Mr Magarian said to the homeless woman who has taken to the witness stand for the first time: “You set them up on behalf of Tommy, didn’t you? You lied to them on the phone to lure them into a trap so they could be robbed by your friend Tommy. Is that right?”

“Yes,” she said.

Magarian asked whether she had seen Tommy’s friend “Amazon” dispose of any knives that Mr Boom may have had. The pair had been hiding in a bush waiting for the defendants, according to the woman.

“What knives?” she responded. “The only ones who had knives were the defendants.”

Magarian asked if it would have been a good idea for Mr Boom and ‘Amazon’ to have weapons on them if they were committing a robbery.

“Possibly,” she said. “But they didn’t have any.”

Magarian suggested that Mr Boom and ‘Amazon’ had attacked Larman first.

“No, he attacked Boom. Larman lunged with the knife towards Boom,” she said.

Magarian argued that Larman had been defending himself, saying he had been brought to the park under false pretenses.

“They had no clue two people were waiting behind the trees,” Magarian said. “Then seconds after, Amazon appears and stands behind Larman. Larman now has Tommy in front of him and Amazon behind him. Is that what happened?”

“Not sure. It could have been something along them lines,” she said.

Magarian described what he claimed was the sequence of events. “Tommy jumped out of the bushes aggressively, saying, ‘What are you doing shotting (drug dealing) here?’”

“Maybe,” she said. “I’m not sure. It all happened too quick. I’m not aware.”

Magarian suggested her recollection might be affected by drug use. He said: “Maybe because you were on crack and heroin, you don’t really remember?”

“I don’t like his attitude,” she said.

Magarian continued, saying Larman had been unprepared for two men to ambush him at midnight. He said: “Larman tried to run past Tommy. As he went to run, Tommy grabbed his arm.

“No. That didn’t happen,” she responded.

Magarian continued: “Well into the incident, Larman takes out this knife, swings it, and stabs Tommy in the side.”

Magarian suggested the altercation had been between Mr Boom and Amazon on one side, and Larman on the other. However, the witness disagreed, saying: “It was one on one. That’s it.”

The barrister then focused on the second defendant, Kieran Okocha-Sleight. “He is doing nothing, is he?”

“No. He’s sat on the bench with me,” she said.

The witness declined to answer further questions, saying: “I wish to answer no more questions to you. I don’t like your attitude. You’re questioning me, putting pressure on me, trying to make me **** up.”

Yesterday, prosecutor Gordon Aspden KC addressed the jury regarding what is and is not considered self-defense. He described the crime as "steeped in lawlessness," asserting that the stabbing was connected to illegal drug dealing.

Mr Gordon said: "The crown suggests that anyone who plunges a large hunting knife into someone’s chest with severe force must be attempting at the very least to cause serious injury.”

The trial continues.