Content creator Stephen Morrison irritated a film crew, hit his head on a tree, and appeared to drive at the shoot before being stabbed, a court heard
A content creator was fatally stabbed after he disrupted a music shoot in a part that involved big snakes and a Komodo drag as “props”, a court heard.
Stephen Morrison, 30, was reportedly attacked after he irritated a film crew, hit his head on a tree, and appeared to drive at the group, the Old Bailey heard. Mr Morrison suffered stab wounds in the chest and was mortally wounded when he attempted to get help at a petrol station in Essex. He died in hospital later that day, on June 23, 2020.
Yonas Girma, 29, known as Yosh, and 25-year-old Ellis Heather, known as Rackz, are now accused of his murder. That is despite neither having met Mr Morrison before the incident. Opening the Old Bailey trial on Wednesday, prosecutor Maryam Syed KC said Mr Morrison’s girlfriend, Daniella Patten, had noticed he appeared to be on drugs when she saw him on June 23. Ms Patten says he would take cocaine and sometimes ketamine.
She went to meet Mr Morrison after he broke down and needed food, as well as help buying petrol. The defendants meanwhile are said to have “carefully planned” the arrangements for a music video. A videographer, technical assistants, models and extras were assembled as well as live reptiles to be used as “props” in the video, the prosecutor said. The group of men and women had converged on two filming locations in Essex, including the Wake Valley car park.
It was in the car park that they are said to have met Mr Morrison, who was driving a Vauxhall Corsa at the time. At around 7.34pm, one of the women in the group was said to be posing with a large snake around her neck. Her boyfriend, Girma, was pictured in the background, Ms Patten explained. It was “a matter of minutes” later that Mr Morrison was fatally stabbed and the defendants left the area, the court heard.
By the time he reached a nearby petrol station, Mr Morrison was said to be “in distress and pain”. He had a wound to the left side of his torso. Days later, witness Monique Gilligan called 999 to say she had been at the scene and believed Heather to be responsible, jurors heard. She provided a detailed account of what happened at the shoot in May 2024.
The court heard she told police that she noticed a young man, Mr Morrison, approaching members of the group. She claimed he was being “a bit weird” and “very loud”, banging his head on a large tree. Ms Gilligan says he went on to “drive at” members of the group, forcing them to jump back. She explained that the defendants, who she referred to as Yosh and Rackz, were at the front of the group.
She says Mr Morrison appeared drunk and claimed he had done “a couple of circles” of a tree before driving at the group. Ms Gilligan says the victim appeared as if he was going to run them over or “scare them” but broke hard. She explained that he did hit anyone and, from what she saw, had the intention to stop before any collision. The defendants were said to be “confused” and “angry” about what happened, jurors heard.
Girma punched or slapped him in the face and Heather swung his arm towards Mr Morrisson, although the witness said she did not see a knife, the court heard. As he drove away, bare-chested Mr Morrisson had blood dripping down his neck, the jury was told. Article continues belowEnsure our latest stories always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source.
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