He was the man responsible for communicating the policies of Tony Blair's New Labour government to the public in the 1990s and early 2000s.
03.05.2023 - 19:45 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A man accused of murdering a student in Fallowfield has told a court he only brandished a knife during the fatal incident as a ‘last scare tactic’.
Shiloh George Pottinger, 20, is accused of murdering Luke O’Connor, 19, following an argument on Wilmslow Road last year. Previously, Manchester Crown Court heard that an argument broke out between the pair after Mr O’Connor’s friend, Charlie Robertson, told Mr Pottinger to ‘do a kickflip’ on his skateboard.
That led to an exchange between Mr Pottinger, then a student at BIMM University, and Mr O’Connor, a Manchester Metropolitan student. Today (May 3), the defendant took the stand for the first time in the trial.
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During his testimony, the jury was shown CCTV of the incident, taken in the early hours of October 26, 2022. It shows Mr Pottinger stepping to one side to let a group of three people walk past, which he said he did because it was ‘a polite thing to do’.
As they go past him, it is said Charlie Robertson told Mr Pottinger - then aged 19 - to ‘do a kick flip’ — a skate trick — as he was holding a skateboard at the time. The defendant reportedly told the man to ‘jog on’.
That led to Mr O’Connor speaking to the defendant, and after a brief exchange the two parties continue to walk up Wilmslow Road. Mr Pottinger had been drinking with friends prior to the incident, and was walking to get some food from Chester’s takeaway, he said.
After another coming-together, CCTV showed Mr Pottinger taking a flick knife out of his pocket, first showing Mr O’Connor the handle, and then extending the blade.
Mr Pottinger has already pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article, and today claimed he purchased the
He was the man responsible for communicating the policies of Tony Blair's New Labour government to the public in the 1990s and early 2000s.
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