THE MAN who fatally stabbed a 24-year-old in Reading on Valentine’s Day earlier this year laid low in Bracknell before handing himself in, a court has heard.

O’Neal Joseph, 28, of Amersham Road, Reading, is accused of the murder of Yannick Cupido, who died from his injuries after he was stabbed with a kitchen knife.

The pair had a disagreement after Cupido played a drunk prank on Joseph by telling him their mutual friend, Reece Weatherburn, had been arrested following a stabbing.

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This information was untrue, however, but Joseph was not made aware of Weatherburn’s whereabouts and became “angry and frustrated”, according to prosecutor Matthew Walsh.

On his way home to his mother’s house in Caversham, Cupido was intercepted by Joseph on Nire Road outside the Best One corner shop.

Here, they had a coming together where Cupido allegedly headbutted Joseph, before the latter stabbed the former with a kitchen knife.

Cupido died from his injuries an hour later at 1.24am.

Following this, Joseph laid low at Weatherburn’s flat before plotting his next move.

It emerged in a court hearing that he was picked up by an ex-girlfriend who drove him to her house in Bracknell, where he laid low until February 16.

On this day, he went to Tesco in Bracknell. The jury were shown footage of Joseph entering the store.

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Before he entered the store, he took the time to sanitise his hands.

Here, he purchased a mobile phone, pens, a writing pad and a carrier bag.

He put a new sim card into his mobile phone using the items purchased from the Bracknell store.

Joseph returned to Reading later that day and attended Loddon Valley Police Station with a solicitor.

He gave no comment answers in questions from police but gave a prepared statement, which stated:

  • He had an altercation with Cupido
  • Cupido was physically and verbally aggressive
  • He believed Cupido had an item in his hands and feared for his safety
  • He accepts he must have made contact with Cupido while he had an 'object' in his hand
  • That object caused injury to Cupido.

Weatherburn (22 from Nire Road, Caversham), who is facing a charge of assisting an offender, was arrested on February 15.

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Both men deny the charges made against them.

The trial continues.