A “panicking” mother tried to help her sons get away with murder, court hears

Portsmouth Crown Court was told how drug addict Joanne West, 45, of no fixed address, helped her sons Tommy West, 18, and brother Aiden West, 24, after Levi Kent had been stabbed to death. 

The victim was robbed of cocaine on November 24 last year around 2am after being lured to shops behind Nobes Avenue to sell the drugs after refusing to defer payment when he was stabbed to death. Tommy West, of Fisgard Road, Gosport, has admitted murder, robbery and possession of a blade. His half-brother Aiden West, of Tudor Close, Gosport, denies murder and possession of a blade.

Following the attack, the brothers escaped from the scene and back to acquaintance Kylie Mancell's flat at Dundas House in James Close with a “large bag” of cocaine - where Tommy West boasted of the stabbing before smoking crack. 

Ms Mancell recalled Tommy West saying he had stabbed Levi five times and had later got changed into his mum Joanne West’s trousers and tops back at her flat. The witness said Joanne West had stayed over at her flat the previous couple of nights and described their relationship as being “drug users together”.

The court heard how Joanne West, who has admitted two counts of assisting an offender, pleaded with Ms Mancell to help her sons during a phone call before sending a taxi for them. “She was begging for them to stay at my house and I said no,” Ms Mancell said.

The mum, who was staying at a Premier Inn on Fareham Road, rejected a desperate plea from Tommy West for them to come to her before ordering a taxi to go to Harbour Tower. “Tommy was saying, ‘please mum I’ll give you all the drugs if you let me stay with you’. She was saying ‘no’,” Ms Mancell said.

Speaking of when the taxi turned up, the witness continued: “(Joanne West) was demanding for the boys to go down (from the flat) and get in the taxi. She was demanding for them to get in the taxi. She was saying ‘get the taxi to Harbour Tower now’. She was panicking.” 

The case also includes other people who have admitted offences or been charged. Peter West, 42, of Fisgard Road, and Michael Figgins, 64, of St Ann's Crescent, are also on trial, with each charged with two counts of assisting an offender.

Other people in the matter include Liam Savage, 37, of Trinity Green in Gosport, has also admitted two counts of assisting an offender. Sarah Flynn, 36, of James Close in Gosport, was charged with two counts of assisting an offender. 

(Proceeding)