A WITNESS in a murder trial was attacked at home by four men who told him if he testified they would kill him, a court heard yesterday.

John Amadasun was a key witness when teenager Eze Eke killed father-of-one Blayne Ridgway in the street outside an Oxford nightspot.

He was called to give evidence in the 17-year-old’s murder trial. But in the days before he was due to appear in court, four young men visited his flat and threatened his life.

Dexter Williams, of Coriander Way, Oxford, George Kirika, of Woodin’s Way, Oxford, Byron Haynes, of Henley Street, Oxford, and Callum Spencer of Nettlebed Mead, Oxford, deny charges of intimidating a witness.

Haynes also denies one count of breaching an Antisocial Behaviour Order through using violence against Mr Amadasun.

Mr Amadasun had been outside the Que Pasa bar in Oxford when Mr Ridgway was stabbed to death and gave a key witness statement to police after the killing on May 8 last year.

On the first day of the trial – November 22 last year – Mr Amadasun was told he would not be required to give evidence until three days later.

Neil Moore, prosecuting, said that after hearing his name read out to the jury, the four men visited Mr Amadasun’s home in Christchurch Old Buildings, Oxford.

Mr Amadasun, who also went by the name Dwayne, spotted Byron Haynes, 20, approach his flat.

“Byron Haynes made the purpose of his visit plain right from the start because having identified he was talking to the right man he said words to the effect of ‘come down, you’re a ****ing snitch, I want to talk to you’,” said Mr Moore.

“Mr Amadasun went downstairs, opened the main communal door and Byron Haynes said to him ‘if you go to court you’re going to give him (Eke) 15 to 25 years because of your evidence.”

Reading Crown Court was told that as Haynes became more aggressive, 22-year-old Williams rushed over and also began to berate Mr Amadasun.

“Dexter Williams screamed at him in an aggressive fashion ‘we’re going to kill you if you go to court,” said Mr Moore.

As Mr Amadasun retreated into his flat, Haynes and Williams tried to force their way in before a scuffle broke out and Mr Amadasun fell to the ground, down a flight of steps.

As he lay on the ground he was punched and kicked, while Williams and Haynes were joined by 20-year-old Kirika and Spencer, 19.

Mr Amadasun called police and was later taken to Oxford Crown Court where he identified three of the men as they sat in the public gallery.

Kirika was later identified as he arrived in court.

Mr Amadasun said the gang’s threats had not put him off giving evidence.

“I felt violated and confused. They came to my house and it was like ‘who do you think you are – judge and jury?’” he said.

The trial continues.