MURDER TRIAL LATEST: Court told how body of Roberts, 12, was found by a member of the public

The jury heard that a member of the public called the ambulance service at around 10 am on the morning of Saturday 12 December after noticing the body on land between Alcorn Green and Hide Close in Fishtoft.

EMAS ambulance technician Alison Barber, in a statement read to the jury at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, said a resident and a postman pointed her in the direction of the body when her ambulance arrived at the scene.

“We found the footpath. I saw a body lying on the ground in the bushes. The body was lying on its right hand side.

“I approached the body and could see he was deceased. There was no sign of breathing or movement. There was a large injury to the left side of his neck. There was a cut that was open.

“I noticed that the male’s hands were small. He thought he looked about 17 years old.”

Police were called to the scene and a murder investigation was launched.

The jury was told Roberts was lured from his home at 3.30am to meet the 14 year old accused of his murder.

Mary Loram QC, prosecuting, said evidence showed Roberts climbing out of his bedroom window and then hurrying along Freiston Road heading in the direction of the area where his body was later found.

The jury heard that the defendant later messaged a friend saying he planned to meet Roberts in the early hours but the 12 year old did not turn up.

The defendant, in his message, said: “Never met Rob cos he was tired. I was going to meet Rob for a joint at night but he fell asleep. I fell asleep too.”

The 14-year-old defendant , who cannot be identified because of a court order, denies the murder of Roberts Buncis.

The jury has been told that Roberts was stabbed "again and again" resulting in him receiving multiple knife wounds.