Teenager accused of Mexborough killing sent "laughing faces" to co-defendant before car was burned, court told

A TEENAGER accused of driving a car involved in the shooting of a gang member sent a message with emojis of a car, flames and faces crying with laughter to a co-defendant minutes before the vehicle was burned, a court has heard.
Lewis WilliamsLewis Williams
Lewis Williams
 

A TEENAGER accused of driving a car used in the shooting of a gang member sent a message with emojis of a car, flames and faces crying with laughter to a co-defendant minutes before the vehicle was burned, a court has heard.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be identified, told Sheffield Crown Court that he thought a "crying with laughter" emoji meant "crying" — and denied sending the emojis because he knew the car would be destroyed.

His co-defendant, a 17-year-old who also cannot be named, has admitted shooting Lewis Williams (20), of Swinton, from the Jaguar car, said to have been driven by the 16-year-old, and both are on trial for murder alongside three others.

The car was driven to a back lane about an hour and a half after the shooting and was deliberately set alight, the prosecution say.

Mr Stephen Wood, prosecuting, asked the 16-year-old today about the series of emojis he had sent to the 17-year-old, about 45 minutes before the Jaguar had been torched.

The prosecution say he sent emojis of a car, two flames and two "laughing crying" faces.

Mr Wood asked the teenager what the last two emojis meant.

The teenager said: “Crying.”

Mr Wood said: “Are you familiar with the emoji crying with laughter?”

The teenager said: “No.”

Mr Wood said: “You understand don’t you that the emojis crying with laughter, after fire after car, has a very different meaning to just crying?”

The teenager said: “I thought they were crying emojis.”

Mr Wood said the teenager was lying to cover up what was going to happen.

He said that based on the teenager’s explanation the defendant had not wanted the car to be burned.

The teenager said he had sent the emojis because he had liked the car.

Mr Wood asked the teenager what he was hoping to get out of sending the message with the emojis.

He said: “The answer is obvious, and is so obvious you don’t want to tell us.

“You knew that (the 17-year-old) was arranging for the burning of this car.

“That’s the reason you sent those emojis to him.”

The teenager said: “No.”

He said he accepted he had been in the car in Mexborough when Mr Williams had been shot.

Mr Wood asked the youth why he had not spoken to the police after the shooting.

The teenager said: “I don’t know.”

Mr Wood said: “Is the reason you didn’t say anything to police because you were worried that if you said anything to the police that they might be able to check it out and might be able to prove you wrong?”

The teenager said: “No.”

The 16-year-old is on trial accused of murder alongside Jack Parkes (21), of Arnold Crescent, Mexborough; Ryan Nisbet (20), of Springwood Road, Hoyland; Joe Anderton (18), of Jubilee Road, Wheatley, Doncaster, and a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

All of the defendant deny murder.

The trial continues.