Jury considering verdicts in Norfolk murder trial

The jury of seven men and five women have started deliberations in the trial of Junior Suleimane who is accused of the murder of 23-year-old Felizardo Jose Vieira-Balde.

Scene of fatal stabbing in Great Yarmouth (Image: Newsquest) It was after the pair encountered each other in St Peter's Road in Great Yarmouth in February 2023.

Norwich Crown Court has been told he had pulled out a large knife to inflict fatal injuries with a single stab wound to the chest as revenge for an attack he had suffered a month earlier. 

Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Judge Alice Robinson sent jurors out to consider their verdicts at 2.40pm on Monday following a two-week trial.

Earlier, jurors heard closing speeches by both the prosecution and defence.

Will Carter, prosecuting, said it was the crown's case the fatal stabbing was an attack by Suleimane in revenge for the injury and threats he sustained following the earlier incident.

He said it was plain Suleimane was not "terrified to go out on the streets of Yarmouth" due to that earlier attack, as the defendant had suggested.

Scene of fatal stabbing in Great Yarmouth (Image: Newsquest) Mr Carter said Suleimane had not contacted the police or authorities as a result of what happened and was carrying that "horrible" weapon, not for his own protection, but as he was "prepared, ready and armed to do it himself".

He said Suleimane had with him a knife “capable of inflicting, as we know, dreadful injury”  when he encountered Mr Vieira-Balde on February 8 last year.

Although he "didn't need to confront Mr Vieira-Balde who was "simply walking past" on the other side of the road, Mr Carter said Suleimane "calmly" approached him.

He said he then took out the knife which, "if used was bound to cause horrible damage" and stabbed the victim.

Mr Carter insisted Suleimane "doesn't need to do any of this" as Mr Vieira-Balde had been "simply walking past" on the other side of the road.

He said: "This is not about self defence it's about loss of face about perceived disrespect and it's about revenge."

Felizardo Jose Vieira-Balde (Image: Submitted) In his closing speech, Simon Spence KC, defending Suleimane, said this was a "tragic" case.

He told jurors although the fatal stabbing was captured on CCTV  they would have to consider "why" it happened which was "rather more difficult" to establish.

Mr Spence said Suleimane should not have had that "fearsome" knife with him but had it to "frighten not to use".

He insisted the attack was not about revenge, as the prosecution had put it.

Mr Spence said given what had happened before Suleimane "could be forgiven" for thinking Mr Vieira-Balde was armed with a knife on the chance encounter outside the shop.

He also said when Mr Vieira-Balde went to put his hands in his pockets he was "not to know" what he had in his pockets or what he might have been armed with. 

Mr Spence said with it being the first time he saw Mr Vieira-Balde since he was stabbed in January Suleimane was "petrified".

He said the rational thing for Sulemaine to do would have been to have peddled off on his e-scooter but insisted he was not thinking rationally.

Mr Spence said he made a "disastrous decision" to get off his scooter and confront Mr Vieira-Balde.

He said as he walked forward he had the knife "by his side and not raised ready to use".

Had Suleimane have wanted to use the knife to stab Mr Vieira-Balde Mr Spence said it would have been raised "from the start".

He said there was no second attempt to stab Mr Vieira-Balde from Suleimane who continued moving backwards after he did so as he was "frightened".

Suleimane, formerly of Market Place, Yarmouth, has gone on trial having denied murder.

The trial continues.