JURORS in a murder trial have heard the final submissions from both the prosecution and the defence.

David John Henwood, 34 also known as David Brewer, and Kasey Wayne Rolfe, 37, are standing trial charged with the murder, and also manslaughter, of 41-year-old Jason Williams in South Ham on February 20.

During the trial at Winchester Crown Court, jurors heard closing statements from the prosecution and the representatives for both co-defendants.

Prosecutor Matthew Jewell took the jury on the journey of the alleged murder weapon, saying that DNA on the knife “was beyond reasonable doubt” belonging to Mr Williams.

Mr Jewell also referenced the journey of Henwood’s van, which the court had heard had a tracker on it and so the prosecution was able to plot the co-defendant’s movements.

Mr Jewell said: “If you follow the journey of the knife you are also following the journey of one of the defendants, Mr Henwood.”

The prosecution also invited the jury to take into account the “missing Converse boots”, Mr Jewell added: “The Converse he was wearing that night have completely disappeared.

“Is that just a random coincidence of is it beyond reasonable doubt that it points to these two men killing Jason Williams?”

The body of Mr Williams was found in an alleyway off of Margaret Road, South Ham near Russell Howard Park. He was found in the early hours of February 20, and his death was later determined to be caused by a single stab wound to the chest.

It was also submitted that a journey made by Henwood to Tobago Close in the early hours of February 20 was when the “rare” knife was thrown in a lake.

Mr Jewell told the court: “Whoever threw that knife in the lake clearly did not want it to be found.

“You have heard that the Radius branding on the blade is a rare knife, and you have heard that officers were unable to find any other knives with a Radius branding on it either on the internet or in local Basingstoke stores.”

Defending David Henwood, William Mousley, submitted that the prosecution “has pinned its colours on the mast and said that David Henwood murdered Jason Williams.”

However, Mr Mousley said the count of manslaughter had been ignored.

The court had previously heard that Henwood had denied being at the scene of the attack, despite an arrangement for a drug deal to take place, as he was scared off after seeing “four geezers”.

However, Mr Mousely addressed the court and said if he did do the alleged stabbing why were there no traces of blood.

Mr Mousely said: “There was no sign of blood or involvement in a violent incident.

“If there is no blood on Mr Henwood’s fleece or on the boots, that is why there is no blood in the van?”

When it came to the alleged disposing of the murder weapon Mr Mousely submitted: “Why would he take his van which he knows has a tracker on it?

“If this was someone trying to cover his tracks, in reality he would park somewhere else and walk to the lake, rather than park up in his van.”

Defending Kasey Rolfe, James Newton-Price, said : “Kasey Rolfe is an easy man to blame, he is a thief and a drug addict.

“But he is not a man who loses his self-control and stabbed a man that night.

“Kasey Rolfe did not stab the victim, nobody said that he did. The prosecution accepts he was not the man who stabbed Mr Williams.”

Mr Newton-Price added that everyone accepts that Rolfe was in the van parked in St Nicholas Court the night of the incident, but added that he never actually left the vehicle.

He continued: “There is not a shred of evidence that places Mr Rolfe at the scene of the crime.”

Henwood, of Edmund Court and Rolfe, of no fixed abode, both deny the charges against them.

The trial continues.