A man from Newham accused of murdering a drug addict, pressured another defendant not to “snitch”, the Old Bailey heard yesterday, Tuesday, March 20.

Cedric Kyiago, 21, who has addresses in Romford and Manor Park, denies any involvement with the death of Liam Harman, who was reportedly attacked by three men in a communal stairwell in Straight Road, Harold Hill on July 11, 2017.

Kamal Hamilton-Albert, 21, from Highfield Road, Woodford Green, who was working as a chef in the House of Commons at the time of his arrest, is also accused of Liam’s murder, along with Nathan Charles, 22, of Lowbrook Road, Ilford, and Gleneson Mark, 23, from Whitta Road, Manor Park.

All four defendants deny murder.

Previously, prosecutor Oliver Glasgow told the Old Bailey that Kyiago was a local drug dealer, known by the nickname Scales, and that he operated a mobile phone drug line called two point.

Mr Glasgow said: “Liam had reason to be scared on the day he was killed. He was sent a text message with a simple but chilling warning.

“The text message read: ‘You’re a dead man’.”

Kyiago explained that his nickname is Scales because he used to be overweight. He said he was paid £70 - £80 a day to hold various phones, including the two point drug line, to make calls organising drug deals.

However Kyiago told the court that on the day of Liam’s death, he did not possess a phone with the two point drug line number.

He told the jury that on the evening Liam was attacked, he remained at his girlfriend’s home in Daventry Road, Romford, while Mark, Hamilton-Albert and Charles travelled to Straight Road in Harold Hill.

Kyiago admitted knowing the drug dealer called two point – who is in charge of the two point drug line – but said he would not reveal the man’s identity for fear of his own safety.

Benjamin Aina, who is defending Hamilton-Albert, suggested to the court that Kyiago had joined the other three in travelling to Straight Road.

“I suggest that you left the car and you went somewhere, because the next time you were seen, I suggest, was when my client, Charles and Mark were walking along the alleyway close to the scene,” said Mr Aina.

“Before they got to the [exit of the alleyway] they heard a loud scream.

“I suggest that you were coming out of the doorway of the block of flats shouting, ‘run’.”

Mr Aina then asked Kyiago about a meeting he had with Mark, Charles and Hamilton-Albert at Nandos on July 12, a day after Liam was killed.

“Your three friends asked you what happened, and you told your three friends that you had stabbed Liam Harman,” said Mr Aina.

“You told the group that Liam had a knife, he had tried to attack you and that was how you came to stab him up.”

Kyiago told the court that this had “definitely not” happened.

Mr Aina then referred Kyiago to conversations he had last weekend with Hamilton Albert, from prison.

“[Hamilton-Albert] told you he was no longer going to protect you,” said Mr Aina.

“For month after month, [Hamilton-Albert] had kept quiet about what had happened because of the pressure of not being a snitch, and the breaking point, I suggest, to you, was this weekend.”

Kyiago said: “[Hamilton-Albert] told me I’m the youngest of the group, I should take the rap.

“He just says this because of his predicament - to make me a scapegoat.

“He’s at the scene, when everybody says I’m at home.

“I don’t know what he has to be worried about.

“He’s older than me. I can’t make him do nothing.”

The trial continues.