A JURY heard about a defendant’s difficult upbringing during a four-week murder trial.

Elijah Clark was cross-examined by the defence and prosecution at Chelmsford Crown Court, where hr stood trial for murder, manslaughter, actual bodily harm, and possession of a knife.

On Thursday, Clark, of Gloucester Avenue, was found guilty of manslaughter and actual bodily harm but he was acquitted of murder and knife possession.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard how Clark’s parents had split up when he was four and that his father “wasn’t active” in his life.

Facing questions from David Etherington KC, Clark told the court on the eighth day of the trial how he had lived with his grandparents in London and attended William Morris College in Hammersmith.

After Clark, now 20, was arrested for possession of a machete at Northolt Station, he went to live with his mother in Braintree before they moved to Chelmsford.

He said: “My father wasn’t active in my life, to be honest.

“I’ve always had quite a difficult relationship with my mother because when I was younger, I couldn’t live with her.

“I needed to get away from everything – I wanted to spend more time with my mum and my brother. Essex seemed a bit safer for me than London.”

‘I did everything I could, I don’t know what to do’

A FRIEND shouted “he wasn’t supposed to get stabbed – he’s been stabbed in the neck” as Andy Wood stumbled for help after a knife attack, a court heard.

Various witness statements were heard by the jury during a four-week trial where Elijah Clark, of Gloucester Avenue, was accused of murder, manslaughter, actual bodily harm, and possession of a knife.

PC David Owen recalled how his police vehicle was flagged down by two dog walkers who had encountered Mr Wood as he lay on the pavement bleeding from his neck.

He said: “His friend was hysterical, saying ‘he wasn’t supposed to get stabbed – he’s been stabbed in the neck’.

“There was a large pool of blood off Mr Wood’s armpit and it had soaked into his clothing.

“The blade was locked out and appeared to have blood on it.”

Mr Wood’s girlfriend, who was outside the woods where the stabbing took place, said in a police interview how she felt sick after seeing him bleeding to death.

She said: “His friend was sat by him saying ‘I did everything I could, I don’t know what to do’.

“I stepped away a bit I felt really sick – I was really hysteric kind of thing.”