Brother will not give evidence in Damilola trial

One of the boys accused of murdering 10-year-old Damilola Taylor today turned down his right to give evidence.

His defence will now be based around evidence from a trauma expert who believes Damilola may have been injured accidentally, possibly by playing with a broken bottle.

The Old Bailey jury was told that mobile phone records would also be relied upon to show the brothers were not the killers.

Boy A and his brother Boy B, both aged 16, are now the only two of the original four defendants still facing the murder charge.

The judge Mr Justice Hooper directed the jury to clear two other boys earlier in the trial.

Damilola died in November 2000 after, the prosecution says, being stabbed in the leg with a broken beer bottle on the North Peckham Estate, south London.

The brothers, both from south London, deny murder, manslaughter and assault with intent to rob.

Their defence cases started today with Courtenay Griffiths, QC, for Boy A, addressing the jury.

The judge asked Mr Griffiths if he had advised Boy A that if he chose not to give evidence "the jury may draw such inference as appear proper from his failure to do so".

Mr Griffiths said: "Although we will be calling evidence, I will not be calling my client to give evidence."

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