TWO of the men facing trial for affray in connection with the death of Luke Jobson has pleaded guilty to the charge on the day it was due to start.
The popular 22-year-old went missing following a night out in Yarm last January.
His body was later recovered from the River Tees a few days later.
Edwin Taha, of Lavender Way, Norton, entered his plea before the trial was opened at Teesside Crown Court.
The 20-year-old was accused of squirting pepper spray into the eyes of Mr Jobson after the gang caught up with him near Yarm School.
Ali Abdulmajieed, of Corvus Drive, central Stockton, also changed his plea to guilty before a jury was sworn in to hear the case.
The 19-year-old was the driver of the car which was used to pursue Mr Jobson as he ran away and attempted to escape the gang.
The charges against Ryan Alpay, 19, of Duneside, Elm Tree, Stockton, and Hammad Asif, 18, of Osborne Road, Stockton, were not to be pursued by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Richard Bennett, prosecuting, said: “Regarding the two outstanding defendants, the charges will be left to remain on file and we will not seek to try them.”
A teenager, who was 17-years-old at the time of his sentencing so cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced on Wednesday, June 24 after pleading guilty affray.
Taha and Abdulmajieed will return to court next month to be sentenced.
- More follows
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