A COLLEGE student from Birmingham was stabbed to death by two teenagers and a man because he "bad mouthed" a member of a rival gang, a court heard.

Sixteen-year-old Odwayne Barnes, a member of the Bang Bang Crew, was hunted down and murdered after he "slagged off" one of his alleged killers - a 17-year-old member of the Slash For Money Crew, Birmingham Crown Court was told.

The alleged teenage killer, who can not be named for legal reasons, appeared in court yesterday alongside 20-year-old Nathaniel Darby, of Wyrley Way, Erdington.

Both deny murdering Odwayne at a bus stop outside Matthew Boulton College in Jennens Road, Birmingham, on March 7.

Damien Belle, aged 18, of The Heathway, Shard End, who originally denied murdering Odwayne, yesterday changed his plea to guilty and was remanded in custody until he is sentenced at the end of the trial.

Teenager Lucien Darby - Nathaniel Darby's brother - has pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice.

The 18-year-old, also of Wyrley Way, is accused of attempting to cover up evidence by washing blood from a car allegedly used by the foursome on the day of the murder.

Barrister Robert Jukes, prosecuting, said Odwayne, of Ward End, had been school friends with the unnamed teenager accused of murdering him, but the pair had fallen out.

On the day of the murder, Odwayne, a student at South Birmingham College, was shopping with his friend Leon Black in Birmingham City Centre, said Mr Jukes.

When they spotted the alleged murderers, the pair fled in opposite directions, he added.

"So anxious was Odwayne to get away and get away quickly, he got rid of his trainers which, because of the latest fashions, were too big for him and would have slowed him down," he said.

They were chased through the city centre but the foursome eventually lost sight of Odwayne and Leon, added Mr Jukes.

The court was shown CCTV footage of the victim running barefoot through the city centre and Aston University's campus, before climbing over a fence and eventually waiting at a bus stop in Jennens Road.

"By the time he reached the bus stop, Odwayne must have thought he had escaped," he said.

"But what happened then was that the four men had gone back to Nathaniel Darby's car and drove out of town, which took them straight down Jennens Road."

The court was then shown more CCTV footage, allegedly of Nathaniel Darby, Belle and the teenager who can not be named, "rounding" on Odwayne.

"Odwayne was dragged from where he was stood on the pavement out into the middle of the road," added Mr Jukes.

"Then the three of them set upon him."

He claimed the trio, using "lock knives" bought from a city centre shop on the day of the murder, killed Odwayne, who was stabbed once in the chest, penetrating his heart, and once in his back near his right shoulder blade.

Odwayne, who also suffered two broken teeth and cuts to his knees and legs, had no chance to defend himself, added Mr Jukes.

He claimed Belle sustained a cut buttock cheek in the attack but said Odwayne had not been armed and the injury must have been inflicted by one of the other accused murderers by mistake during the frenzied attack.

The trio ran back to the blue VW Polo car and sped off, stopping to drop Belle off near to Birmingham Children's Hospital for treatment to his wound, he said.

Meanwhile, Odwayne ran off but eventually collapsed in Bartholomew Street, he added.

Passing firefighters attempted to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead when he arrived at hospital.

The Darby brothers and the unnamed teenager handed themselves into the police two days later, but claimed in interview that they had stopped at the bus stop because Nathaniel believed Odwayne was an old friend called Simon and he wanted to give him a lift.

They claimed there was a scuffle after Simon was "taken by surprise" but they had not stabbed him.