THE teenager accused of killing 33-year-old Lee Turner can now be named as his trial begins.

Treyvon Eijogu, of Empress Avenue in London, appeared in the dock at Bristol Crown Court on Monday in a white shirt and black trousers, speaking only to confirm his name.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to murder and told police in interview that the violence he inflicted on Mr Turner was lawful self defence.

After the swearing-in of the jury, prosecutor Christopher Quinlan KC summarised the charge the 18-year-old faces and provided some context for the stabbing which happened on The Venny on October 10 2021.

Mr Quinlan said: “The context for this fatal violence was drug dealing and men armed with knives. Take those two things away and no-one dies, put them together and the outcome is fatal.”

He explained that the defendant and two associates travelled from London to Swindon the day before the deadly confrontation to sell drugs there as part of the ‘JoJo’ County Line network.

They stayed in a flat above Bobby’s Fish and Chip Shop opposite The Manor pub and carried out drug deals in the field behind the pub's car park. On Sunday, they went to a mound on the public space to sell crack cocaine and heroin to users.

Mr Quinton added: "It was a slick operation, good business was done on Saturday and a not inconsiderable amount of money was made.

"[The prosecution] says the true motivation was money and not lawful self-defence.

“[On Sunday afternoon], the defendant was armed with a kitchen knife and the three of them were approached by Lee Turner, a drug user and a man capable of violence, who was almost certainly armed with knives as well.

“There was a coming together, during which the defendant stabbed Lee Turner once, fatally, in the chest."

Eijogu and the two people with him are said to have fled into woodland on the border of the Venny - with the defendant discarding two items of dark clothing and tossing the knife into a brook - then made their way to Swindon town centre and caught a train to Reading before boarding another one to London later on.

Police arrested Treyvon five days later, on October 15 2021.

The court heard that Mr Turner once told a probation officer during a previous conviction that he was "a professional drug dealer robber".

Mr Quinton displayed the long blade that caused the victim’s fatal wound, and played audio of the incident - picked up by his mobile phone as a voicemail - which moved some members of the public observing the proceedings to tears.

The prosecutor continued: “What’s clear is that Lee Turner was threatening violence - ‘I’m ready to go, bro’.”

The audio also appears to include one voice saying ‘I’ve packed him’, which means stabbed.

A witness found the victim lying face down and unresponsive, with a knife near his body that, DNA evidence suggests, belonged to him.

Two healthcare assistants rushed to give him CPR and paramedics opened his chest to perform an emergency procedure - but despite these efforts, Mr Turner was pronounced dead at 3.09pm.

The trial continues on Tuesday morning with the final portion of the opening argument, which summarises the defendant’s case, and more details on the drug dealing operation.

A verdict is expected by the end of next week, though the hearing's 10am start on Monday was unexpectedly delayed and proceedings did not begin until 2.40pm. Judge William Hart apologised to the jury for the "frustrating" setback.