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THE knife used to kill Lewis Singleton was passed between two of the people accused of murdering him, shortly before the start of the vicious attack on him, a court heard.

Sercan Calik handed the weapon to his friend Rikki Johnson as they drove through Southampton, just moments before the 18-year-old was ambushed by a gang of five people.

The Winchester Crown Court murder trial heard one of their fellow defendants, a 16-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, told detectives Johnson then said he planned to use it.

He had just spotted two teenagers walking down a street in the Woolston area of Southampton in the early hours of March 31 last year.

"He Rikki said: I've got a problem with that boy, I'm going to beat him up," the youth told officers who were quizzing him in the days after Lewis' death.

A transcript of the police interviews was read out in court.

The youth said the group had just driven away from an incident in the Thornhill area of the city, where four of them had been chased by a man with a knife.

As they drove towards Woolston, Calik told the others he had a weapon on him.

Shortly after Lewis and Mr Smith were seen, the defendant saw him pass something to Johnson.

"Just before we stopped I see them hand something over," said the youth.

"I just saw them like just sort of shake hands with each other, but as they shake hands they passed something to each other.

"I heard Rikki say: I'm going to use this, I'm going to use this weapon'."

Johnson, 19, of Honeysuckle Road, Bassett, Calik, 19, of Burgess Road, Bassett, the 16-year-old and a 17-year-old who also cannot be named, all deny charges of murder and violent disorder.

Proceeding.

5:49pm Thursday 31st January 2008

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