'You are quite literally trying to get away with murder': Killer admits fleeing Northampton and throwing weapon in canal

Gordon Aspden KC, prosecuting, began his cross-examination of the defendant Daniel Larman at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday, January 15 in week two of the ongoing trial.

Larman confirmed he delivered the fatal blow that killed Tommy Boom in Miller’s Meadow on the night of July 18 last year but claimed he was acting in self-defence alongside his co-defendant Kieran Okocha-Sleight.

The court has heard that the two defendants were lured to the park in Semilong by a homeless woman who called them under the pretence of buying drugs from them.

When they arrived Tommy Boom and friend ‘Amazon’ were hiding in bushes. Tommy Boom was said to have then jumped out of a bush and it has been claimed he intended to rob the pair.

Larman and co-accused Kieran Okocha-Sleight were operating the OP drug line in Northampton from Paget House.

Mr Aspden asked Larman where he was getting drugs from, to which Larman responded it was from an unknown Albanian dealer in Northampton whom he contacted via messenger app Telegram. After the stabbing, Larman fled to Birmingham the morning after the incident at around 8am, carrying a rucksack containing 21 grams of heroin, the weapon, and bloodstained clothes. The knife and clothes have never been found.

When asked where the bloodstained clothes were, Larman said: “A canal in Birmingham.”

Mr Aspden asked: “Why not in Northampton?” Larman replied: “Because it was too close to the crime scene.”

Mr Aspden pressed: “You didn’t want the police to find it? So you took it to Birmingham?” Larman said: “Yes. I just threw it in the canal near West Bromwich.”

The court heard texts between Larman and a mate in Birmingham discussed continuing drug dealing the following morning.

Mr Aspden said: “This is you and your friend getting ready to sell drugs again the morning after you stabbed Tommy Boom. What were you thinking?” Larman responded: “I was thinking about money.”

Mr Aspden pressed: “Do you understand the word ruthless? What does it mean?” Larman said: “Kind of, heartless.”

Mr Aspden asked about the OP drug line’s name, which was the defendants’ drug line. Larman said it stood for “On Point” because they ‘didn’t under weigh the drugs.’

Mr Aspden addressed multiple videos found on phones following Larma and Okocha-Sleight’s arrests.

A video created just after the stabbing showed Larman and Okocha-Sleight recording the murder weapon with Tommy Boom’s blood on it. Larman later added a Snapchat banner to that video saying “just had to juice a guy tf up” accommapnied by a laughing emoji. Mr Aspden questioned: “If you acted in self-defence, why did you make that video?” Larman said he recorded it so he could see the blood on the knife using the flash on his camera.

Mr Aspden said: “Are you making this up?” Larman denied it. Mr Aspden suggested the video was a “souvenir.”

Larman said he made it to send to his friend for emotional support. He said: “I just wanted to confide in him something that had happened. I just wanted to show him because he was my go-to person at the time.”

Mr Aspden asked: "Why did you want a drug dealer to see a bloodstained knife?" Larman responded: "Because he’s been my friend since Year 5, when I was 10 years old."

Mr Aspden asked: "On the banner... 'Just had to juice one guy'... why was this so funny?" Larman replied: "I didn’t find it funny."

Mr Aspden pressed: "Were you showing off? Were you playing the big man with your knife?" Larman answered: "No, I wasn’t."

Mr Aspden asked: "Look what I’ve just done, is that why you made that video? Why did you put those words across?" Larman said: "I didn’t mean it that way."

Mr Aspden then asked: "Why did that banner not say, 'Just had to defend myself'? You were bragging to a drug dealer, weren’t you?" Larman replied: "I wasn’t bragging."

Larman also recorded himself walking past the crime scene the following morning at around 8.40am while police had taped off the park. Mr Aspden asked: “Did you think it was minor or serious?” Larman said: “Quite serious.”

Mr Aspden asked: “And you decided to film it?” Larman confirmed: “Yes.”

Mr Aspden concluded: “Was this to warn him (co-defendant)?” Larman confirmed: “Yes.”

Mr Aspden asked: "So he could prepare himself? And get rid of evidence?" Larman replied, "Yes."

Mr Aspden pressed: "Because that's exactly what he did—got rid of clothing?" Larman confirmed, "Yes."

Mr Aspden asked: "You have the evidence on you, you're walking past police, you've acted perfectly lawfully the night before in self-defence, and you walk straight past them?" Larman replied: "Yes."

Further pressed about the video taken that night, Mr Aspden asked, “You didn’t do anything at the scene to help? Did you call an ambulance anonymously?” Larman answered, “No. At that moment I was thinking about getting away.”

Larman confirmed he didn’t call emergency services on the night, instead he said: “I recorded a video.”

Mr Aspden asked: “If you were acting in self-defense, why didn’t you tell the police after you were arrested?” Larman replied: “I didn’t believe I would get a fair hearing.” Mr Aspden asked: “Why does that matter? The police aren’t the judge and jury. Why not just tell the police what you told us?” Larman replied: “I just didn’t believe I would have a fair hearing. What I was trying to do was dispose of evidence.”

Mr Aspden concluded: “The reason you went ‘no comment’ for two hours and 16 minutes is because you hadn’t thought up exactly what to say. You needed time to think and then come up with a completely dishonest account to try and hoodwink the court. This is something you decided to do before the interview began.” Larman denied this claim.

Aspden concluded, “When you were asked, ‘Were you the person who stabbed Tommy Boom?’ what did you reply?” Larman answered: “No comment.”

Mr Aspden continued, “You were given numerous opportunities to tell the police what you’ve told us today, despite the warning. You still chose ‘no comment.’ What you’ve come out with in court today is a carefully scripted and well-rehearsed pack of lies. Do you understand?” Larman denied this saying: “It isn’t."

Mr Aspden said: “Tommy Boom emerged from behind the trees and said, ‘Yo yo.’ When you saw him, the man who robbed Kieran Okocha-Sleight, you pulled out that enormous knife. He said, ‘What are you gonna do with that, put it down, put it down,’ but instead of doing that, you lunged at him twice and stabbed him to death. You stabbed him before this had even started?” Larman replied: “No, I didn’t.”

Mr Aspden pressed: “Then after you gloried in it?” Larman denied it, saying: “No.”

Mr Aspden concluded, “And you did everything within your power to avoid being in the place where you are now?” Larman confirmed: “Yes, that's correct.”

Mr Aspden asked: “Because you are quite literally trying to get away with murder, aren't you?” Larman answered: “It wasn’t murder.”

The trial continues.