Sheffield Crown Court: Drug dealer who admits killing teenager claims he only meant to intimidate him

Sheffield Crown Court heard on July 25 how 27-year-old Jacob Carroll pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 18-year-old Joevester Takyi-Sarpong but he and 26-year-old Jordan Davies have both denied murdering him on October 31, last year, near to the derelict former Doncaster County Court building.

Prosecuting barrister Mark McCone told a trial jury Joe Sarpong had been with friend Warren Flanagan when a group wearing Halloween masks started shouting and as Joe and Warren ran away in different directions they were followed by the two defendants on bicycles.

Mr McCone added Joe’s body was later found with a stab wound to each of his legs on November 1, 2021, near the old Doncaster County Court, after he was spotted by motorists nearly 12 hours following the alleged incident.

Carroll admitted he was a drug addict who had been selling drugs to feed his crack cocaine habit and he claimed he had been trying to protect his “patch” when he and Davies pursued Joe.

He said two lads had been staring at them and there was an argument so they followed them and he recognised one of them as Joe because he claimed had seen him before with another class A drug dealer.

Carroll added: “They set off running. We set off after them on pushbikes because we wanted them off our estate. Off our patch. Because it’s drug competition.”

Warren ran towards a petrol station and Joe ran in a different direction, according to Carroll who claimed they were both shouting insults.

Mr McCone, prosecuting, claimed Joe had climbed over locked gates at Catherine Street and the defendants had allegedly gained access via Trafford Way where they were out of view from CCTV cameras.

But Carroll said he jumped over the fence and saw a knife on the ground and he warned Joe not to come back while he was prodding towards him with his flick-knife.

He added: “When I was prodding him to tell him not to come back on the estate he kept kicking his legs out and that’s all I remember.”

Carroll said he did not realise his knife had made contact and or that he he had injured Joe.

He also claimed he had jumped back over the fence and re-joined Jordan Davies near Trafford Way and they cycled back to the estate where Carroll claimed he dumped the knives near Milton Walk.

Carroll claimed he had not intended to inflict any injury or serious injury or to kill Joe.

He told the court he had been carrying a knife to warn people off and to protect his drugs and he would only use the knife as an “intimidation tactic”.

Carroll also said Jordan Davies sold drugs separately but they were not in business together and he had not seen Jordan with a weapon.

A post mortem examination confirmed Joe suffered a stab wound to his right leg severing an artery and a vein, as well as a stab wound to his left leg.

The court heard Joe died from blood loss and haemorrhaging from the stab wounds but mainly from the right leg.

Following the defendants’ arrests, Davies and Carroll, both of no fixed abode, responded with no comment interviews.

Homeless Carroll, who had been staying at a property on Exchange Street, Doncaster, and Davies have both pleaded not guilty to murder.

But Carroll, who has previous convictions, entered a guilty verdict to manslaughter on July 25 after the trial started on July 19.

However, the Crown Prosecution Service has refused to accept Carroll’s plea to manslaughter as an alternative to murder.

Carroll told the jury he had achieved motor mechanic qualifications, had an apprenticeship with First Buses and he had worked as a fishmonger before he became addicted to cocaine and became homeless.

The trial continues.