Bristol Crown Court has today (April 3) heard evidence from the 19 year old from Frome accused of the murder of Radstock's Charley Bates.

Joshua Delbono took to the stand in the afternoon to confirm his name, and be questioned about what happened on the afternoon of July 31.

Josh, as he asked to be called, told the court he was with his girlfriend and friend, before they picked up another friend and headed out to Mells Quarry to hang out. He told the court the decision to go to Radstock was not pre meditated: " I just wanted somewhere new to go, " he said, adding that one of those friends had been the library car park before. " We went there to smoke joints, " he told defending counsel, Charles Row KC. He stayed in his car, he told the jury, but then became aware of his friend and some boys from Radstock had got into a fight. He claimed that it was his girlfriend who said that one of them was carrying a knife in the fight, and so he got out and took a knife he had with him. " I got out, and I took it with me because I thought that if I take that (the knife) I might make him think."

The defendant said he had thrown three or four punches, using his left and right hands, at Charley.

He told the court that he saw the Radstock teenager walk away and that he was not aware of the seriousness of what had happened. " I just wanted to get away from it," he said about why he drove away. " When I left Charley was still standing, so I thought that was it."

The group then drove to a cross roads near Faulkland where dog walkers go, before driving around and then going to Shearwater Lake where Delbono admitted that he had burnt his T shirt and threw away his knife. " It was not the right thing to do, I shouldn't have done it."

Earlier in the day the jury heard the closing of the prosecution's case including a video link from a forensic scientist and accepted agreed evidence of statements, which included the defendant's actions in Shearwater.

Details included that sixteen year old Charley, known to his friends as Char had a total of three cuts to his body, the one deeper cut was previously described to the jury as 'unsurvivable.'

The jury then heard the 999 call made by Joshua Delbono's mother which she started by telling the operator: " My son's just killed someone." The defendant was then called to the phone and detailed the events of July 31, saying that it wasn't his idea to travel to Radstock and he did not know any of those in the car park behind the library. " It was a chance encounter which escalated in a way I never intended," adding that everything that happened: " Should all be on CCTV", He was arrested at 02:09 the following morning.

Last week the court was told that closed circuit footage from that area of the car park, covering the woods at the back of the library, was not working.

The final witness for the prosecution heard from the Call Officer in the Case, who said there were over 3,800 pieces of evidence collated, including calls, snap chat conversations and texts from those involved.

Joshua Delbono of Slipps Close in Frome has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Charley Bates of Radstock at the Street in Radstock on July 31 2022. The trial continues with the defendant due to return to the stand tomorrow (April 4).