THE jury in the trial over knife victim Jay Kensett today retired to consider its

verdict.

After hearing six days of evidence, the jurors will decide if 31-year-old Darren Mateer is guilty of murdering the teenager in Whitehawk Way last March.

Jay, 16, who had spent the evening in Brighton town centre with friends, was fatally stabbed through the heart after a fight with Darren Mateer's brother Jonathan.

The court heard friends of Jay had shouted obscenities at Mateer's sister Leanne earlier in the evening.

Yesterday at Lewes Crown Court, the prosecution and defence solicitors summed up their cases for the jury of eight women and four men.

Judge Anthony Brown outlined the evidence for the jury and today he sent the jurors out to consider their verdict.

Camden Pratt QC, prosecuting, said Mateer could only have intended to inflict serious injury when he plunged the knife into Jay's back.

But John Black, defending, told the court Mateer was

acting on instinct to protect his brother Jonathan.

Mateer denies a charge of murder.

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