A MURDER accused has gaslighted his co-defendant to put pressure on him to lie when giving evidence, a court has heard.

Terence Maccabee is currently on trial alleged to have murdered Taylor Williams, from Bromley, in Shooters Way, Basingstoke, on Saturday, August 31, 2019.

Tana Adkin QC, defending Maccabee, told jurors at Winchester Crown Court that his co-defendant Olamide Soyege “manipulates” people.

In her defence closing statement today (Monday), Ms Adkin said: “In truth Mr Soyege has been putting pressure on Mr Maccabee to change his account and to say he was the person who stabbed Taylor Williams.”

She told the court that Soyege had been “gaslighting” her client which explained for Maccabee changing his answers during his evidence.

Maccabee is also alleged to have robbed a drugs runner from the Coco county lines network in Bermuda Park, Popley earlier that evening. A charge that he denies.

Highlighting an account from a witness who saw the robbery, Ms Adkin said: “What she is saying is that Terence Maccabee when she looked at him that he didn’t want to be there, he is nervous, he is uncomfortable and he is not involved in what is going on.”

Soyege, Maccabee and co-defendant Paige Taylor then have allegedly tracked down the Ray network, who had cuckooed a flat in Kingfisher House, Shooters Way, where Mr Williams and Maccabee have been said to be stabbed.

Soyege claims that Maccabee stabbed Mr Williams, but Ms Adkin said: “He is the only one that says Mr Maccabee stabbed Mr Williams, it is a lie, it is not true. It is Mr Soyege that stabbed Mr Williams.

“He is somebody who has seen what the evidence is and seen what Mr Maccabee can remember and hijacked that defence.

“What is worse than that he actually tells you and Terence Maccabee that he saves his life. Mr Soyege is owed something because he says he saved his friend’s life.”

The court was told that one witness describes that Soyege was “intimidating” before stabbing Mr Williams.

But Soyege’s defence set to challenge the credibility of witnesses during its closing statement.

Jeremy Wainwright QC, defending Soyege, said: “Just suggest for a moment it hadn’t been Mr Williams that had died, it was Mr Maccabee that had died of his injuries.

“The prosecution has set up a scenario for you. I would like you to consider with exactly the same evidence and scenario being the other way round.”

Mr Wainwright asked the jury to consider “these unreliable drug users” that have given evidence.

One witness told the court that they had met Soyege on the same day as the murder at The Oak pub to buy heroin, but Mr Wainwright said: “She made a statement on interview, still didn’t tell the truth, she made a second statement on interview and still didn’t tell the truth.”

Mr Wainwright said that the witness admitted not telling the whole truth once she had been shown a video of her, he added: “Is that a witness that we can base a conviction on in a case like this?”

He argued that another witness gave “fantastical account of Mr Soyege attacking somebody”.

The court was told that one witness claimed that Soyege had put his clothes in her washing machine following the stabbing, Mr Wainwright said: “In relation to her that they (the prosecution) rely on, she is somebody who has clearly got herself in trouble. Police were in her place – it was a crime scene.

“Is it really true, as she claims, in a panic he manages to pop the laundry in a quick spin or is it that she panicked.”

He also claimed that the prosecution has “cherrypicked” evidence from each witness to fit their case.

Both Maccabee and Soyege are accused of murder, robbery and conspiracy to rob. Maccabee was acquitted of possession of a knife in Shooters Wayafter the judge deemed that he had no case to answer. Meanwhile, Soyege still stands accused of that charge.

Maccabee is also accused of having a knife in Bermuda Park, Popley, earlier that evening.

Paige Taylor is not accused of murder but does stand trial charged with robbery and conspiracy to rob.

The trio deny all charges. The trial continues.