A 17-year-old youth accused of murdering a 32-year-old man who was stabbed in an Ipswich alleyway left the area in a taxi shortly after the alleged attack, a court has heard.

The teenager's telephone was used to order a taxi at 2pm on December 16 last year - 13 minutes after a male believed to be him was captured on CCTV running from the scene of the stabbing near Turin Street, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He and another male were then picked up by a taxi at Griffin Court in nearby Brickfield Close at 2.15pm and taken to a Premier Inn in Colchester.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, was later seen leaving the hotel in a change of clothes, said Simon Spence QC, prosecuting.

The 17-year-old youth, from Bury St Edmunds, has denied murdering Mr Saunders on December 16 last year.

He is on trial with five other defendants, who deny assisting an offender by disposing of his clothing and harbouring him at a caravan park.

They are Arjun Jadeja, 18, of The Nook, Wivenhoe; Benjamin Gosbell, 20, of Gratian Close, Highwoods, Colchester; Olusola Durojaiye, 33, of Appleton Mews, Colchester; a 16-year-old boy, from Bury St Edmunds; and a 17-year-old boy, from Colchester.

Simon Spence QC, prosecuting, has alleged that two of the defendants including the alleged killer, bought a machete and a large knife from a shop in Southend where Durojaiye vouched for their ages.

Subsequently the 17-year-old accused of murdering Mr Saunders met him and his friend, Ben Wright in an alleyway near Turin Street, Ipswich, and Mr Wright had bought some drugs from him.

Shortly afterwards Mr Wright heard Mr Saunders cry out and then saw him running away seriously injured.

The court has heard the 17-year-old told police that Mr Saunders and Mr Wright had tried to rob him in the alleyway, and that he had grabbed a knife being carried by Mr Wright and stabbed Mr Saunders in self-defence.

The jury has seen CCTV footage of Mr Saunders visiting a Co-op store in Austin Street and his alleged killer visiting a Premier Store in Wherstead Road minutes before the alleged stabbing.

The trial continues.