Court hears of man's stab death

A man was attacked by a gang in a Hertfordshire street and fatally stabbed, a court has heard.

Steven Jeeves, 39, died in July 2006 from a single stab wound to the chest which severed an artery, the trial at the Old Bailey was told.

Five people, one of them 16, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Jeeves who was attacked in Hill Estate in Hemel Hempstead.

Two other people are also on trial in connection with the incident.

The court heard that as Mr Jeeves, of Penrose Court, Hemel Hempstead, was surrounded by a group of men near his home and the attack was caught on CCTV.

Confronted by gang

The CCTV footage was played to the court during the prosecution's opening of the case.

On trial for murder are Isher Campbell, 23, his brother Izra, 27, Eugene Entsir, 18, Shingirai Maenzanise, 21, and a 16-year-old who cannot be identified.

The five, all from Hemel Hempstead, also deny violent disorder.

Richard Archer, 23, also from Hemel Hempstead, has denied violent disorder and a charge of possessing an offensive weapon.

Angela Burrows, 43, from Hemel Hempstead, the mother of the Campbell brothers, denies attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Mr Archer by driving her car at him.

Murder weapon

Ann Evans, prosecuting, told the jury that Mr Jeeves, his stepson, and Mr Archer, who was a close friend of the Jeeves family, went to shops to buy some alcohol.

It was there in the square that he was confronted by a group of men, the court heard.

Miss Evans said the prosecution could not say who the actual knifeman was.

She said: "One of them stabbed him once in the chest and then the group, including the knifeman, chased him until he lay dying on the ground.

"They then joined in together and kicked him and hit him until he was nearly dead."

Mr Jeeves died later in hospital. The murder weapon has never been found.

Miss Evans said following the stabbing, Angela Burrows had driven into the car park and driven her vehicle, a Fiat Punto, directly at Mr Archer and knocking him to the ground before driving off.

The case continues.