Teen was ‘stabbed to death by his friends, buried in makeshift grave and set alight’, trial hears 

A teenager was stabbed to death 20 times by friends, buried in a makeshift grave and set on fire, according to a trial.

The body of 18-year-old Kieran Williams was found in a 2.4ft-deep grave in Sunderland six weeks after he went missing at Easter last year.

Prosecutors allege he was stabbed to death by friends Ben Cook, 19, and Louis Hackett, 20, in a “protracted and sustained attack” before being buried near a disused industrial estate near the River Wear.

Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court listened to the suspects and then texted Mr Williams after the murder, in what was claimed to be an attempt to cover their tracks.

Police initially arrested the two men on suspicion of kidnapping, but when fingerprints were found at the site, the suspects clashed and charged each other with murder.

He was last seen on April 18. He had received messages from both defendants on the same day.

David Lamb KC, prosecution, said Mr Williams had contacted them before meeting them.

He said: “The prosecution’s case is this pattern of contact leading to Kieran leaving his mother’s address and walking into the area where he was killed is indicative that this was a planned attack by these two defendants. and they were together as part of a joint plan.

Mr Lamb said that after allegedly murdering Mr Williams, Hackett sent him a text saying “You taking the p***, where are you, waiting like an idiot?”, later adding “Fuck you , do not do it”. he talks to me again.

Lamb told the court: “Of course he didn’t, because Kieran was dead.”

Cook also messaged Mr. Williams on Facebook asking “you’re back mate.”

Mr. Williams, who lived in supported accommodation, was at the home of his mother, Tracey Williams, on April 18.

She said that she left the house at 5:30 pm and that he was not home when she returned.

The court heard that on May 1, both defendants returned to the burial site. Hackett also returned on May 2, and Cook returned a day later.

Lamb said: “On June 2, some five weeks after the murder, a police officer and his police dog discovered Kieran’s decomposed body, buried in a grave in an area of ​​thick brush in a disused industrial landscape.”

His body was examined by a pathologist who said he had sustained at least 20 stab wounds, including three to the front of the chest, two to the right torso, seven to the neck, and various other wounds to the extremities.

One of the stab wounds had pierced a membrane surrounding her heart, another pierced her aorta, and two entered her liver.

Mr. Williams died of blood loss as a result of a “protracted and sustained seizure”.

The court heard that an attempt had been made to set fire to Mr. Williams in the grave, but the damage from the fire was limited to his clothing, not his body.

Lamb said the grave was 2.4 feet deep and “did not resemble a hastily dug or poorly constructed grave.”

He said that while it cannot be said with certainty that the grave was dug before Mr Williams was killed, there was evidence of prior planning.

Lamb said: ‘It was in an isolated area and access to vehicles would not have been possible. In short, this was not an easy place to find. There were numerous shovel marks on the sides and base of the grave. It was dug out of clay soil and would have taken considerable effort to remove.

Attempts had been made to cover the grave with leaves, sticks and branches.

A shovel, spade and fork were later recovered by police on the bank of the River Wear.

When Hackett was interviewed, he told police that Mr. Williams was “like a brother to him” and said that he would “give him the clothes he had.”

Hackett also called Mr. Williams a “class boy” and said the three boys were friends.

Police investigations had initially led to the arrest of Cook and Hackett on suspicion of kidnapping.

Hackett denied any involvement, but when a forensic archaeologist found his fingerprint in clay on and in the grave, he changed his story, saying that he and Cook had gone to the deposition site and met Williams.

He claimed that Cook argued with Mr. Williams and Cook pulled out a knife and stabbed him multiple times.

He claimed that he tried to get Cook off his back, but Williams collapsed. Hackett said Cook asked him to help him after it became clear Mr. Williams was dead and said he “wasn’t thinking straight” so he helped Cook bury him.

Cook, who also changed his initial story, said Hackett had attacked Williams and stabbed him multiple times. Cook also claimed that Hackett threatened him with the same knife and told him to move the body.

Cook claimed that Hackett set Mr. Williams’ body on fire and then covered it with leaves and brush. He said he was then told to go away and for him to call Mr. Williams later as if nothing was wrong.

Prosecutor David Lamb KC said: “We say each man did his math before throwing his co-defendant under the bus as a final roll of the dice to get out of his own involvement in a murder that, we say, both men were involved and with who were in this together.’

Cook, 19, of Fordfield Road, Sunderland, and Hackett, 20, of Fordenbridge Square, Sunderland, deny the murder.

The trial at Newcastle Crown Court continues.