A 19-YEAR-OLD man on trial for the murder of teenager Sunday Essiet on February 19 last year says he thought his co-defendant was carrying a belt not a knife.

Adeniyi Oloyede, of Coralline Walk, Thamesmead, says he saw his friend Sikuru Doherty carrying something "iron and shiny" just before Sunday's death, but thought it was a belt.

Oloyede, nicknamed 'Knifer', also says he saw another co-defendant, Ifedotun Gbadeo-Araoye, chasing Sunday with "his arm stiff and outstretched but not with nothing in his hands".

Speaking at the Old Bailey, Oloyede claimed Sunday, aged 15, pointed a gun at him and his friends which led them to "move towards" him to calm him down - not to kill him.

Prosecutor Ed Brown then showed the jury mobile telephone bills suggesting Oloyede received phone calls from all three of his co-defendants in the evening following Sunday's death.

When asked by Mr Brown what they had been talking about, Oloyede replied: "I can't remember. It was over one year ago. How am I supposed to remember?"

Sunday received nine knife wounds to his back after a chase in Invermore Place, Plumstead.

Oloyede along with Sikuru Doherty, aged 20, of Swetenham Walk, Woolwich, Miles Maddy, aged 19, of Coralline Walk, Thamesmead, and Ifedotun Gbadeo-Araoye, also 19, of The Heights, Charlton, all deny murdering Sunday.

Gbadeo-Araoye also denies robbing Ibrahim Ajidagba of a gold chain on the same date, when he allegedly broke off from the attack on Sunday.

The trial continues.