Two “horrible” brothers “laughed” as "ginger giant" stabbed and kicked during cocaine murder-robbery

Jurors at Portsmouth Crown Court were told how Tommy West, 18, and his brother Aiden West, 24, were seen running after Levi Kent, 22, to rob him of cocaine on November 24 last year. He had been lured to shops behind Nobes Avenue to sell cocaine after refusing to defer payment before he was stabbed and then chased.

“Scared” eyewitness Claire Hunter, in a police interview played to the court, said she was in bed when she heard a “really loud bang” around 2.15am before looking out of her Keyes Road house to see two the West brothers hunting down “gentle ginger giant” Levi, whom she knew from doing volunteer work together several years earlier.

The witness said she looked out of her window to see “scared” Levi running from the “shouting” West brothers - who she recognised from the area. Tommy West was the first to catch up with Levi - who had been stabbed in his Vauxhall Corsa seconds earlier by the attacker before running from his car. 

Ms Hunter said: “(Tommy West) hit Levi with his fist with quite a bit of force. It was a massive swing to the back of his head. Levi fell to the floor on his front and Aiden started kicking him in the head and side really hard. Tommy then pulls out a knife and stabs him about seven or eight times. I was counting it in my head.”

The witness, watching from her upstairs window, said she saw Aiden West searching through Levi’s pockets before Tommy West asks: “Have you got it?” Aiden West replies “yeah” before his brother says “run” and they both flee in opposite directions, Ms Hunter told police.

She continued: “The worst bit was they were laughing when they were doing it. They were laughing loudly. It was horrible.”

Traumatised Ms Hunter, whose house was just a few metres from the murder, added: “I couldn’t do anything about it. I just froze…I was scared. It’s the worst thing when you see someone die in the street because you are too scared. 

“There were police and ambulances and I just stood there just watching the paramedics working (carrying out CPR on Levi) and counting and then they said he was gone. I will never ever forgive myself for not being able to do anything.”

Ms Hunter also told detectives she heard what she thought was a “scream of a female” at the time of the attack but went on to say it could have been from Levi. She said he was motionless after the first stab just below the chest area before this was followed up with a knife into the back.

The eyewitness told police she knew Tommy West was the one stabbing Levi as he was taller than his brother and she recognised them from hanging around the shops and from social media. Asked how to describe Tommy’s face, she said: “Ugly.”

Ms Hunter said she was “shaking” and “was sick” before going to bed and admitted “staying quiet” for a while because she was scared before later telling police what happened.

Speaking of Levi, Ms Hunter said Levi was a “gentle ginger giant” who she worked with as a volunteer for children’s events where both of them would “mess around” and dress up as minions. She said Levi was well known in the area. “You would see him round everywhere,” she said, before adding: “Levi had his flaws but he had his personality. He was bubbly, sarcastic and sassy.”

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.

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 the brothers’ mother Joanne West, 45, of no fixed address, who has admitted two counts of assisting an offender. 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)