Defendant denies arranging drug-debt enforcement before death of Sheffield man Jordan Marples-Douglas
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Sheffield Crown Court has heard during a trial how Aaron Johnson, aged 22, of Mawfa Crescent, Norton, Sheffield, and his step-brother Ben Jones, aged 26, formerly of Archdale Road, Manor, Sheffield, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of 23-year-old Jordan Marples-Douglas at his home on Woodthorpe Road, near Richmond, Sheffield.
Kath Goddard QC, prosecuting, claimed Mr Marples-Douglas died as a result of a drug-debt owed to Mr Johnson who allegedly arranged for Mr Jones and another man – who is still at large - to enforce and pursue.
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Hide AdMr Johnson told the court Ben Jones and the other man had been in contact before Mr Marples-Douglas’s death purely to arrange a night-out and he had not been involved in any discussion about buying drugs or a debt collection.
He added that he later heard Ben Jones and the other man had been linked to the alleged murder on March 6, 2020.
Mr Johnson said: “The next day Ben phoned on my iPhone and I said don’t phone me on this. He was crying his eyes out swearing blind he did not stab him and he was going to kill himself and he wanted to speak to his mum one last time.”
Mr Johnson added he threw two phones away because he had panicked and he phoned a friend of Mr Marples-Douglas who told him he could not understand why it had happened.
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Hide AdMr Johnson told the court he did not play a part in the murder of Jordan Marples-Douglas and had not sought his death or arranged for anyone to beat him up.
Ben Jones has denied being an enforcer, but has accepted he is guilty of manslaughter after he threw a punch which started a fracas that resulted in Mr Marples-Douglas suffering a significant wound penetrating his chest.
Mr Jones said he had only been visiting Mr Marples-Douglas’s home to buy drugs when Mr Marples-Douglas became upset that he had another man with him and Mr Jones lost his temper.
Mr Jones claimed Mr Marples-Douglas had a “Rambo” knife and Mr Jones’s friend had a lock knife and they swung at each other before Mr Jones’s friend punched Mr Marples-Douglas.
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Hide AdMr Jones added he had struggled to get the knife off Mr Marples-Douglas and had only “poked” Mr Marples-Douglas in the face with the weapon and punched him again.
He claimed he did not know Mr Marples-Douglas had suffered stab wounds and claimed he had not stabbed him and had never intended to kill or cause him serious harm.
Ms Goddard said Dina Aweimrin, aged 22, of Oakdale Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield, arranged travel to Dubai for the other man, who was her boyfriend, and he is believed to have flown to Somalia and remains at large.
Ms Aweimrin has pleaded not guilty to assisting an alleged offender claiming she thought her boyfriend had to leave because of an ill relative and that she did not know Mr Marples-Douglas had been killed.
The trial continues.