THE jury in the Christopher Alaneme murder trial has retired to consider verdicts at Maidstone Crown Court.

The six men and six women has heard seven weeks of evidence about how the 18-year-old black youth died from a single stab wound in Sheerness High Street.

Terance Beaney, 25, Peter Connolly, 31, and Andrew Giblin, 28, all from Peckham, south east London, denied murder in a case which the prosecution allege was a "joint enterprise".

They also denied wounding dockworker Mark Davies, 29, with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He suffered five stab wounds, one serious to his buttocks, during the violence on April 21 last year.

Connolly strongly denied being the man responsible for the stabbings or that he ever confessed to it, as claimed.

Mr Justice Goldring told jurors that it was open to them to return a verdict of manslaughter on the grounds of provocation in relation to Mr Alaneme and unlawful wounding in relation to Mr Davies.

Mr Alaneme, known locally as Chris Roberts, had been living in Blue Town on the island for about two years after moving from Penge, near Bromley. His mother has been in court for the trial.

The five originally on trial were referred to as "Team Peckham". Two of them, brothers Gerry, 28, and Sean, 24, Duhig were cleared after the judge found there was no case against them to answer.