Teen charged with Highbury murder claims victim sprayed him with ammonia
Ryan Grey, who was murdered last in Highbury last summer - Credit: Archant
A teenager accused of the murder of 24-year-old Ryan Gray in Highbury has claimed he attacked the victim in retaliation to being sprayed with ammonia.
Delton Campbell-Brown, 19, said he had no idea Mr Gray, of Finsbury Park, was fatally stabbed during the fight which ended in a three on one attack in Horsell Road.
Campbell-Brown, of Cazenove Road, Stoke Newington, told jurors at the Old Bailey he did not know his friend Taylor Fernandes-Nelson, 18, had a knife or see him using it.
Jurors heard Campbell-Brown was with Fernandes-Nelson, of Vivian Comma Close, and Stephen Roberts, 22, when they saw Ryan Gray near Holloway Road.
He said he heard Mr Gray say something like “I’m gonna get ammonia acid” and then chased him down the street.
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After tripping him up and kicking him, Campbell-Brown ran back to get in a car driven by Roberts, of Highbury New Park, jurors heard.
Mr Gray then appeared and sprayed a liquid into the car, it is claimed.
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Campbell-Brown said: “I saw him with the bottle in his hand and saw him point the bottle into the car. He started spraying.
“I had my head in my hands and knelt down to protect myself from the acid.”
The court heard the bottle actually contained ammonia and not acid.
Campbell-Brown and his friends then chased Mr Gray and brought him to the ground.
He said he kicked him in the body but then stopped and ran off.
His barrister Tim Moloney QC asked: “Did you see that Taylor Fernandes-Nelson had a knife during the course of that incident?”
Cambpell-Brown replied: “No.”
Mr Moloney continued: “Were you aware that Taylor was stabbing Mr Gray?”
Campbell replied: “No.”
Mr Gray was stabbed seven times and died four days later in hospital.
Campbell-Brown, Roberts and Frenandes-Nelson, of
