A MAN who denies murdering a rapper in his own home heard someone shout “get the big shank” as he entered the property, a court heard.

Sheldon McKay, 25, asserts he only delivered a fatal stab wound to Alinjavwa Siwale in self defence.

Mr Siwale, 22, who went by the stage name Swizzino, suffered slash and stab wounds and died in the kitchen of his home in Affleck Road, Colchester, in December last year.

McKay and co-accused Phoenix Lee, 20, say they arrived at the house at around midnight as they were looking for somewhere “to chill”.

Lee says he booted down the front door after he became angry at an insult hurled from a top-floor window by Mr Siwale.

The pair entered the home and a confrontation ensued.

McKay accepts he did not know Mr Siwale.

In cross-examination, Jane Bickerstaff QC said: “You’ve never been there before, you didn’t know this property, you had no invitation and the door has just been forcibly kicked open. Why did you go in?”

McKay confirmed as he entered the darkened hallway of the home, he heard someone upstairs shouting “get the big shank”.

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Ms Bickerstaff said: “If you were there as a completely innocent person, this scenario might be about as far from being ‘chilled’ as possible. Why didn’t you just turn around and go straight out?”

McKay said he didn’t know why.

Ms Bickerstaff said: “I suggest it was because you had gone there for a purpose, didn’t you, to attack Javwa Siwale?”

McKay denied this suggestion.

The court heard McKay told the jury within the first few seconds of entering the home, Phoenix Lee met Alinjavwa Siwale on the stairs, who was followed closely by his brother Suwi.

McKay confirmed he saw Alinjavwa stab Phoenix Lee “almost immediately” in the face with a knife.

Under cross-examination, he said he could not say what kind of knife Alinjavwa was carrying and said he “didn’t know” whether Lee was the one who dropped a large combat knife on the floor.

Ms Bickerstaff suggested Alinjavwa had defended himself from Lee and McKay using a homemade blade, the remnants of which were later found in his hand as he lay dead on his kitchen floor.

McKay rebuffed this suggestion, asserting Alinjavwa was not trying to defend himself.

He said the homemade blade “had his DNA on it”.

“He stabbed me with it,” he said.

Ms Bickerstaff agreed, and said: “That knife was used to stab you in your back, he did that defending himself didn’t he?

“It’s also got the blood of Phoenix Lee on it. Do you think it could have been that knife, with the broken blade, which was used to stab Phoenix Lee in the face?”

Ms Bickerstaff asked McKay how Alinjavwa had received slash injuries to his back.

She said: “One explanation for all the slashes is that he was dodging and ducking, trying to get away from someone using knives on him, is that what happened?”

She continued: “In order to inflict the stab wounds to his left hand side, did one of you grab him to stop him ducking away, while one of you stabbed him?”

McKay denied both suggestions.

McKay and Lee, both of no fixed address, deny murder and causing grievous bodily harm.

  • The trial continues.