A 17-YEAR-OLD who is standing trial for murder accused one of Jourdan Griffiths' friends of stealing his shoe, after police said it linked him to the 'attack', a court heard.

A shoe belonging to the defendant was found outside the High Wycombe squat where Mr Griffiths suffered a fatal stab wound in June last year, crown prosecutors told jurors at Reading Crown Court last week.

The 17-year-old defendant told police that his shoe had been taken a few days before the incident, jurors heard. He cannot be named for legal reasons and denies Mr Griffiths' murder along with Lotto Williams, 19, and Christopher Joseph, 22.

The youth he accused of taking the shoe had been part of a group of friends in the squat with Mr Griffiths on the night of the incident. He did not appear in court yesterday but jurors watched a video of his evidence.

He told a police interviewer that he knew the defendant and said: “No...why would I steal his trainers? How could I go up to him and just steal one of his trainers? He would have knocked me out or something.

“It don't even make sense, why would I have his shoe...no one walks around with one shoe on do they?”

“I know why [the 17-year-old defendant] said that...because I heard there was a shoe found there.”

He said he had seen the defendant on the High Street in High Wycombe one or two days before the incident.

The court also heard that the youth knew Christopher Joseph and referring to him as 'CJ' he told the interviewer: “I just know him quite well...I didn't really like him.

“Sometimes I used to go out with him and chill with him all day. But he was more of my brother's mate. Sometimes we'd get along...sometimes we'd fall out.”

The youth said he knew Lotto Williams as 'Vincie Boy', but not as well as the other defendants.

Defence lawyers did not comment on his evidence.

Jurors also heard the remaining evidence from Tim Kaye, another of a group of friends who had been at the squat with Mr Griffiths.

He didn't see Mr Griffiths get attacked but saw three people running away across roofs at the back of Buckinghamshire House, the court heard.

He said he then ran back into the squat and looking out of a window saw two of the 'men' come out of an alleyway into White Hart Street and cycle off towards London Road.

He said 'man two', in the middle, was wearing a dark hooded jumper and 'man one', closest to him, had white sleeves and was wearing a black gilet.

Joseph's defence lawyer, David Spens, said the witness's evidence differed slightly to his statement given to police.

He suggested Mr Kaye had only made a mental note of the men's clothes when he saw them the second time and could not be sure that 'man one' on the roof was the same person he saw cycling off.

Mr Kaye agreed but said: “I can't provide any proof...but it was. I can see the tiny discrepancy you are clinging on to.”

Jurors heard the evidence of two further witnesses, who were in White Hart Street at the time of the incident at about 11pm.

They said they know 'CJ' [Christopher Joseph] and saw him cycling past them carrying a wooden log before disappearing up an alleyway with two others.

A few minutes later they saw 'CJ' cycling quickly past them up White Hart Street, along with another male on a bike and another male running.

The trial continues.