MURDER TRIAL UPDATE: Evidence of links between boy, 12, stabbed to death and 14-year-old accused of his murder revealed to court

The older boy is alleged to have lured the Roberts Buncis out of his home in the early hours and then carried out a “brutal” and “savage” attack.

Roberts suffered stab wounds all over his body including a serious injury to his neck, the jury at Lincoln Crown Court was told.

More details came out during the afternoon about the links between the boys and the suggestion the accused was trying to get Roberts' involved in selling drugs.

Mary Loram QC, prosecuting, said that the two boys had apparently been friends and were part of the same Facebook Messenger Group.

Earlier the defendant appeared to be encouraging Roberts to sell drugs for him, she said.

The defendant, she said, had also discussed whether Roberts would snitch.

Roberts' body was found in a wooded area near to a footpath in the village of Fishtoft on the morning of 12 December last year (2020).

Miss Loram said: “He (Roberts) had been subjected to a brutal and prolonged attack with a knife.

“In short he was stabbed to the head, to the back, neck, torso, legs and arms and those injuries inevitably led to his death.

"This was no instant reaction. To cause these amount of injuries must have taken time. It was truly a sustained attack and could never sensibly have been suggested to have been done in self defence.”

Messages found on Roberts' phone led to the defendant being identified as a prime suspect once the body was discovered.

As a result the home and garden where the defendant lived were searched.

Miss Loram said “In that garden under a pot was a knife. On that knife was the blood of Roberts and also of the defendant.

“A Nike top had been partially burned. There were some latex gloves. These had (the defendant’s) blood on them. That must have been as a result of a significant cut he had to his hand There was also Roberts’ DNA on those gloves.”

Miss Loram told the jury that the defendant himself had cuts to his hand and following his arrest he was taken to hospital for treatment. When he was interviewed he made no comment to questions put to him.

The prosecutor told the jury that the defendant and another teenager had previously discussed attacking another boy who was accused of being a snitch. That child was subsequently attacked as he waited at a bus stop in an incident five days before Roberts' death.

Miss Loram said that messages exchanged at the time showed that the defendant “has a tendency towards gratuitous violence with no significant trigger”.

The other boy involved in that attack messaged the defendant saying “Let’s hope Rob doesn’t snitch”.

The defendant responded “Rob’s a liability” which was met with the response “If he snitch – smack time”.

Later the other boy messaged the defendant saying “Rob’s dead. Countdown seven days, one hour eight minutes, 12 seconds” with the countdown ending at midnight on 13 December.

Miss Loram told the jury that just days after the concern was raised that Roberts was a snitch he was killed by the defendant.

She added that the defendant also appeared to be encouraging Roberts to sell drugs for him.

In a message exchange the defendant said “We are getting 3.5 to sell in a week. See if you can handle it” to which Roberts replied “Alright that sounds easy”.

The 14 year old denies the murder of Roberts Buncis on 12 December 2020.

The trial continues today.