A MAN who was jailed for life for the murder of a man stabbed to death at a flat in Worcester has won the first stage in a fight to clear his name.
Rikko Marks, 22, from Birmingham, was jailed with his friend, Micah Golding, for the knife murder of 39-year-old Adrian Locke in Teme Road, Tolladine, in January 2013.
Marks was not accused of wielding the knife, but of lending support and encouragement as Golding stabbed Mr Locke.
But he is now trying to overturn his conviction and last week was granted permission for a full appeal as three top judges ruled that his complaints about his trial were ‘arguable’.
His lawyers had argued that the way the trial judge directed the jury might have led to them being confused about how to consider the case.
“In our view, this does raise an important point,” said Lady Justice Macur.
“We take the view that leave to appeal should be granted.”
The Court of Appeal heard how Adrian Locke, of Wyche Road, Droitwich, was stabbed several times and found dead outside a flat allegedly used for drug dealing.
Prosecutors alleged he had gone there to buy heroin and was killed when a scuffle broke out in the property.
Marks denied involvement in the killing. He said he had seen a fight going on when he went to the property, but had seen no knife or wound.
Upstairs afterwards, Golding was panicking and getting things together to leave, he claimed.
It was only on the way back to Birmingham that his friend admitted he had stabbed Mr Locke, Marks said.
Lawyers for Marks argued the way the trial judge directed the jury how to come to verdicts on the two defendants might have been confusing.
In particular, the legal instructions had effectively removed the possibility of the jury finding Marks guilty only of manslaughter, it was argued.
Lady Justice Macur, sitting with Mr Justice Cranston and Judge Francis Gilbert QC, granted permission for a full appeal.
No date was set for the appeal to be heard.
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