Teenager on trial for murder denies being 'wholly indifferent' to fate of victim as he cries in the dock
04.05.2023 - 19:05
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A teenager on trial for murder denied being 'wholly indifferent' to the fate of the student he is accused of killing. Luke O'Connor, 19, who attended Manchester Metropolitan University, was stabbed to death on Wilmslow Road in Fallowfield.
Shiloh George Pottinger, also 19, has pleaded not guilty to murder and is standing trial at Manchester Crown Court. Jurors have heard that a row broke out between the pair after a friend of Mr O'Connor made a 'lighthearted' comment about Mr Pottinger's skateboard.
The prosecution alleges that Mr Pottinger, then a student at BIMM, a university offering music courses, reacted 'unpredictably and violently'. During the ensuing fracas, Mr O'Connor was stabbed eight times.
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Mr Pottinger has admitted stabbing Mr O'Connor, but maintains he was acting in self-defence. He broke down and cried at one stage during questioning on Thursday afternoon (May 4).
"I was devastated," Mr Pottinger said after being asked how he felt in the aftermath of the incident. Mr Ford asked him: "Are those tears for you or Luke O'Connor?"
"For Luke," the defendant replied. Jurors have heard that he left the area after retrieving his skateboard.
The KC continued: "If you cared about the person who you just stabbed, lying there bleeding to death, why didn't you go and see if he was okay? Mr Pottinger said: "I just freaked out. I just didn't know what to do."
He was asked: "Can I suggest the only thought in your head was to get away from a murder scene?"
"No," he replied. Mr Ford alleged that Mr Pottinger was 'wholly indifferent' to Mr O'Connor's fate and that he 'couldn't care less'.
"Of course I cared," the defendant said. Jurors were shown CCTV