Published: Monday, 28th September, 2009 6:28pm

Court told of knife wound that killed Juan Claude

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TEENAGER Juan Claude McKenley was stabbed to death outside a Reading shopping centre, a jury heard.

Deno Brown, 27, from Wensley Road, Coley, attacked the former Prospect School student following a confrontation outside Broad Street Mall on April 2 this year, Reading Crown Court was told.

Opening the prosecution case today (Monday), Anthony McGeorge claimed: "This defendant produced a knife and stabbed it into Mr McKenley's abdomen. It pierced his liver and cut a vital vein. It led to massive internal bleeding. Not long after he arrived in hospital he was dead."

The court also heard that the knife tore a 2cm hole in his liver and penetrated all the way through it.

Mr McGeorge asked the jury to dismiss as a "complete lie" Brown's claims in police interviews that he had found the knife, had planned to hand it in to police and only produced it in self-defence to scare McKenley.

Mr McGeorge, who told jurors the attack followed a confrontation between the two men, said: "When Mr McKenley saw the knife he said 'what are you going to do with that?'

"Mr McKenley raised his hands to chest level, at that stage the defendant used his chest or hands to push Mr McKenley back and then used the knife with his left hand"

The court heard that police then arrived on the scene and grabbed Brown, who tried to slide the knife away from himself. Jurors were also told that after being rushed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Juan Claude had a blood transfusion of seven units.

A-Level student Juan Claude, 18, from Tilehurst, was known to some as Vaughn. He was a keen sportsman and loved football and boxing.

Brown denies murder. The trial continues.