THE jury set to decide the fate of murder accused Kobe Murray heard the closing speeches from the defence and prosecution barristers today (Friday).

Murray, aged 19, of The Broadway, Dudley, is standing trial for the murder of 24-year-old Ryan Passey, who was fatally stabbed in the heart at Chicago’s nightclub, Stourbridge, on August 6, last year.

Phil Bradley QC, prosecuting, told Birmingham Crown Court that an initial incident where a man had his “bum squeezed” and “his shoulder tapped” had “caused a simmer” between the two groups.

He said that shortly afterwards, witness Brad Maslen Jones saw Murray “holding something near his waistband”, which he described as silver, between five and six inches long, with a button - he believed it to be a knife.

Mr Bradley said that when trouble flared again, Murray had “moved towards it” and “used considerable force to push the knife through Ryan Passey’s sternum and into his heart”.

Mr Bradley repeated a pre-prepared statement that Murray read out after his arrest, which said: "If it was a knife it was self defence - I do not recall the exact circumstances of the night due to being attacked and being intoxicated” - and said he had been “hedging his bets”.

He said Bradley Hackett, who told the murder trial that he bought the £29.99 weapon from a shop near Merry Hill on Murray's request, had been made “the fall guy”.

Mr Bradley told the jury that Murray’s insistence that Mr Hackett had brought the knife to Chicago’s that night was an “attempt to deflect attention from himself”.

James House QC, defending, insisted that Murray was telling the truth when he said Mr Hackett had taken the weapon into the club that night.

He said it was a phone that Mr Maslen Jones had seen Murray holding - and phone records showed he had received a missed call around that time.

Mr House said that Murray was in the toilet for the duration of the first altercation on the dance floor and said Murray was later caught up in the second altercation and was punched by Mr Passey.

Mr House said it was then that Murray noticed Mr Hackett had a knife and “in a split second” grabbed it from him before he was struck by Mr Passey again.

“As he was punched again, he pushed out. He did it with force to get them away from him and at that moment, he realised - because he felt it - that the knife had injured someone.

“What he did after was in panic,” Mr House said.

Mr House said that as Mr Hackett left the club with Murray and their friend Ethan Jones, he had said “Sorry, this is all my fault” and had offered to dispose of Murray’s clothes and phone.

Mr House asked the jury to consider why he would do that if he had just purchased the knife on Murray’s behalf.

“Kobe Murray did not set out that night to hurt anyone, let alone kill anyone,” Mr House said.

The jury are expected to begin their deliberations on Monday.