Teenage quartet on trial accused of brutal murder

FOUR teenagers have gone on trial accused of murdering a 17-year-old boy by repeatedly punching, kicking and striking him with two baseball bats.

Declan Robertson, 17, Andrew Parfinowski, 18, Cameron McKail, 17, and Bradley Lumsden, 17, are alleged to have attacked Brett Lodge in Edinburgh on July 1 last year.

The quartet appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, and their legal teams entered not guilty pleas to charges of murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Prosecution lawyers allege the four men attacked Mr Lodge at a path between Claverhouse Drive and Glendinning Crescent in Liberton.

It is alleged that they assaulted the victim – whom the court heard was nicknamed Hancock – by repeatedly punching him on the head and body.

It is then alleged the four men repeatedly struck the teenager – who attended Newbattle Community High School in Dalkeith – on the head and body with baseball bats before knocking him to the ground.

Prosecutors allege that the accused then repeatedly kicked and stamped on his head causing him to be so severely injured that he died on July 9 last year at the Western General Hospital.

Lawyers acting for Mr Robertson, of Clarinda Terrace, Liberton, have lodged a special defence stating that he acted in self-defence with regard to the supposed attack on Mr Lodge.

In the second charge, prosecution lawyers claim that on July 1 last year in Claverhouse Drive, the four men hid the two baseball bats that were used on the alleged attack.

The charge also states that at various addresses in Edinburgh, Andrew Parfinowski, of Ravenswood Avenue, The Inch, spat on his shoes and caused himself to vomit on his footwear.

The Crown allege that these actions were carried out in a bid to avoid detection, arrest and prosecution for the murder of Brett Lodge and that they “did thus attempt to defeat the ends of justice.”

The trial before temporary judge John Morris QC 
continues.