Man accused of stabbing Portsmouth police officer tells jury: 'It wasn't me - it was a man wearing similar clothing'

A MAN accused of being a drug dealer who sank a knife into a plainclothes policeman’s back has told a court it is a case of mistaken identity - despite an ‘identical’ male seen on CCTV running from the scene.
CCTV at Hastings House in Stamshaw showing a man running shortly after the stabbing - this was shown to the jury last weekCCTV at Hastings House in Stamshaw showing a man running shortly after the stabbing - this was shown to the jury last week
CCTV at Hastings House in Stamshaw showing a man running shortly after the stabbing - this was shown to the jury last week

Michael Enzanga, 20, told jurors at Portsmouth Crown Court it was someone else running away following the stabbing of 56-year-old PC Russell Turner at Stamshaw Park in February.

CCTV was played to the court showing an officer shout ‘here, here, quick’ as police gave chase to a black man who was spotted climbing up a wall having earlier run through nearby Hastings House with a knife.

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Prosecutor Dale Sullivan, questioning Enzanga, said: ‘Are you saying there was another black man wearing identical clothing to you (running through Hastings House)?’

The defendant replied: ‘Yeah, I didn’t see a blue Nike tick on his trousers.’

Mr Sullivan continued: ‘It wasn’t you climbing up the wall even though you were arrested just feet away?’

Enzanga again denied it was him before the prosecutor scathingly hit back. ‘So someone else got under the tarpaulin (where he was found in Jervis Road) with you?’ he said.

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The barely audible defendant, who was repeatedly told by judge Roger Hetherington to ‘keep his voice up’, said: ‘I don’t know what’s going on. I can’t tell you.’

Mr Sullivan questioned how Enzanga’s DNA came to be on the officer’s jacket after the stabbing. ‘It ended up there because you stabbed him in the back twice and caused his lung to collapse,’ he said.

‘No,’ Enzanga replied.

Mr Sullivan said Enzanga’s DNA was found on a bag that had drugs in it. ‘You left behind the bag with your DNA and your Samsung mobile phone didn’t you?’

Enzanga replied: ‘I lost some things while I was being attacked. Things fell out but they weren’t my drugs.’

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A mobile phone was recovered with alleged drug messages from the defendant - evidence that had been accepted by both defence and prosecution - but Enzanga denied it was his.

‘When I was arrested nothing was found on me. It’s got to belong to someone else,’ he said.

Alleged drug messages found on the phone included texts such as ‘delivery later all sizes’.

Londoner Enzanga, 20, of Ashfield Road, Tottenham, denies grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of a knife, four charges of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply and possessing criminal property of £1,000.

(Proceeding)