Jason Brockbanks murder trial: Prosecution tells jurors student 'stabbed to death by Sunderland lover who saw messages exchanged with other men'

Jason Brockbanks' body was found in the shower cubicle at his accommodation in Newcastle, three days after he was killed by Aaron Ray last September, it is claimed.

Prosecutors claim the deadly attack happened after Ray took a video of himself scrolling through Mr Brockbank's phone screen, which appeared to show a series of messages with other men.

Ray, 21, of Mayfield Road, Sunderland, denies the murder of Mr Brockbanks, 24, who was from Whitehaven, Cumbria, and was a third-year student, and is being tried by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.

Prosecutor David Lamb KC told the court the men had been out in Newcastle together and returned to Mr Brockbanks student flat at Mansion Tyne halls, Howard Street, in the city in the early hours of September 24.

Mr Lamb told jurors: "The prosecution case is that while the two men were inside Jason's flat this defendant videoed himself, using his own mobile telephone in the en-suite bathroom, scrolling through Jason Brockbanks' mobile telephone and recording messages that Jason had exchanged with other men.

"We suggest it was that scrolling and the realisation that Jason was sexually interested in other males that was the trigger and motivating factor for the stabbing and ultimately this murder."

The court heard after the stabbing, Ray took the knife he had used in the killing into the communal kitchen then left the accommodation, walked to Newcastle Central Station and got a taxi from there to Sunderland.

Mr Lamb said three days later, on September 27 the university student accommodation manger received an email asking if she could check on Mr Brockbanks' welfare.

He told jurors: "She went to Jason's door and knocked on it. She received no response so she used her master key to enter the room.

"She went inside and she saw that the television was turned on, the bed appeared unmade and there was staining to the bedclothes and the floor carpet.

"She saw a handprint in blood on the doorframe to the ensuite bathroom and on opening that ensuite bathroom door she saw Jason Brockbanks slumped in the shower cubicle.

"He was very obviously dead."

A post mortem examination showed Mr Brockbanks had a stab wound to his right abdomen, which was fatal, and two knife injuries to his back.

A forensic investigation concluded Mr Brockbanks may have been on his bed at the time he was attacked.

Ray was arrested on September 29 and admitted he and Mr Brockbanks had been involved in a violent struggle but said he did not realise he had died.

Ray told detectives Mr Brockbanks was "absolutely mortal drunk", could become violent in drink and said on the night "he came at me, like worse than I've every seen in my whole life" so he picked up the knife to get him off.

Ray said he and Mr Brockbanks had been together for around three months and had met on dating app Grindr.

He told police an argument had started after he saw an explicit Grindr notification on Mr Brockbanks' phone, when he thought they were "exclusive", while they were on the bed.

Prosecutor David Lamb KC said Jason Brockbanks may have survived for some time after the attack and his life could have possibly been saved if he had received medical intervention.

Mr Lamb said: "That fatal injury would not have led to Jason Brockbanks' immediate incapacitation. It's likely he would have been capable of purposeful movement around the flat for a significant period of time.

"Furthermore, it remains a possibility that Jason may indeed have survived if medical attention had been sought.

"Of course, this defendant did not summon the emergency services.

"As you know, he was not found dead until three days after the murder."The trial continues.