Accused phoned girlfriend after Lewis attack, court heard (From Daily Echo)

Accused phoned girlfriend after Lewis attack, court heard

2:57pm Thursday 24th January 2008 in Lewis Singleton Trial By Jon Reeve, Education Reporter

ONE of the four people accused of murdering a Hampshire teenager phoned his ex-girlfriend just hours after Lewis Singleton was attacked, begging to come and see her, a court heard.

Sercan Calik "sounded nervous" when he called Lauren Cullen at around 3.45am on March 31 last year, persistently asking that she agree to meet up.

Less than two hours earlier, Lewis had been fatally stabbed after being ambushed by a group of five males in the Woolston area of Southampton.

Calik, 19, of Burgess Road, Bassett, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court along with Rikki Johnson, 19, of Honeysuckle Road, Bassett, and two youths aged 16 and 17 who cannot be named for legal reasons, accused of killing the 18-year-old.

All four deny charges of murder and violent disorder.

Today, Miss Cullen told the trial Calik had visited her at a friend's house in the early hours of March 31 to bring her cigarettes, despite them splitting up a week or so before.

She said he arrived at the Sholing house in a silver car that also contained the other three defendants.

Miss Cullen said she spoke to Calik and Johnson, who both seemed "fine", for a few minutes before they drove off.

She said she then heard again from her ex-boyfriend, who she described as "quiet, shy and just generally nice", when he phoned her at around 3.45am.

"He wanted to come and see me, but I was tired and wanted to sleep," said Miss Cullen, adding that the call lasted for around half an hour.

"He sounded a bit nervous and was persistent.

"He really wanted to come and see me. At quarter to four in the morning he would more usually let me go to sleep."

Proceeding.