Boy, 16, stabbed to death with zombie knife at birthday party, court hears

Mikey Roynon was fatally stabbed in the neck in Bath

Police at the scene in Bath (PA Wire)

A teenager was stabbed to death after going to a 16th birthday party in Somerset armed with a knife and getting into a fight with three other boys also carrying blades, a court has heard.

Mikey Roynon, 16, was fatally stabbed in the neck with a large “zombie knife” during a house party in Bath.

Three 16-year-olds are facing trial accused of Mikey’s murder.

Bristol Crown Court heard the defendants, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had travelled to Bath on a bus from Devizes on the evening of June 10 last year as part of a group of eight boys.

Christopher Quinlan KC, prosecuting, told the jury Mikey had also travelled to Bath on a different bus from his home in Bristol with his own group of friends.

Trouble between Mikey’s group and the defendants’ group flared in the garden of the house hosting the birthday party, which around 50 people were attending.

Mikey Roynon, from Kingswood in Bristol, died from a single stab wound at a property in Eastfield Avenue in the Weston area of Bath (PA Wire)

Mr Quinlan said friends of the defendants anticipated “trouble” and “expected drama”, and both groups were armed with knives.

“The events you are concerned with happened quickly and unexpectedly, and frightening for those that witnessed the events and its aftermath,” he said.

“These three defendants are young. Not withstanding that, what the prosecution say was they were involved in very serious criminality, which two of them have pleaded guilty, and having in their possession knives taken to the party – one each and substantial knives.

“We are not talking about a pen knife – what we are talking about is substantial weapons.

“Those knives I have shown you are substantial. If you use a knife of that kind, you can only intend to kill or cause really serious harm if you do what we say (Boy A) did and put it into the neck of someone else.”

Mr Quinlan said a friend of the defendants saw one of Mikey’s friends go to “whack” (Boy B) and (Boy A) has “done what he did”.

The friend, who did not witness the fatal blow, told police: “I just thought f***.”

The court heard Mikey was bleeding heavily from a wound to his neck and collapsed on the driveway of the party venue in Eastfield Avenue, Weston.

Police, paramedics and doctors were quickly at the scene of the incident but could not save Mikey’s life.

The defendants left the scene and later disposed of their weapons, and two were recovered by the police, the court was told.

The defendants, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, deny murder.

Boy A and Boy B have pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article, which Boy C denies.

The trial before Mr Justice Saini was adjourned until Tuesday.