Jurors retire to consider their verdicts in the trial of a schoolboy accused of stabbing a 13-year-old to death

Jahziah Coke was found seriously injured in a property last year and could not be saved

Jurors have retired to consider their verdicts in the trial of a schoolboy accused of stabbing a 13-year-old to death.

Jahziah Coke's alleged attacker was said to have almost 'completely cut through' his rib and inflicted a fatal 15cm-deep wound during a 'struggle' in Oldbury.

Paramedics found Jahziah 'at the bottom of the stairs' inside a property but could not save him.

The defendant - who cannot be identified due to legal reasons linked to his age - gave evidence during his trial.

He said there had been a row over 'missing cannabis' moments before Jahziah was fatally injured on August 29 last year.

But he denied deliberately stabbing Jahziah in the chest and said he only realised he had been injured when he saw blood.

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The boy has denied murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

An adult defendant has denied assisting an offender.

Jurors were previously told the prosecution offered no evidence against a second boy charged with murder, who did not stand trial.

The month-long trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Jahziah 'was the only person in the house' when he was discovered by paramedics.

He had been with the two boys when a 999 call was made but they 'had gone' by the time paramedics arrived, prosecutors said.

The youth defendant and the second boy were said to have climbed over fences before boarding a bus and going to the home of a young friend.

They then played PlayStation games hours after the alleged murder, jurors were told.

Jurors were sent out today, Wednesday, April 2.

Summing up the evidence, High Court judge Mrs Justice Tipples instructed them to strive to reach unanimous verdicts.

She told the panel of eight women and four men the law allowed verdicts which were not the verdict of all jurors to be returned in certain circumstances, but added: "Those circumstances have not arisen – put that out of your mind for the moment."

Both boys and the adult defendant, a man in his 40s, cannot be named due to legal reasons.