23-year-old admits Milton Keynes house party murders

A 23-year-old accused of the murders of two teenagers at a house party in Milton Keynes has pleaded guilty at the start of his trial.

Dom Ansah and Ben Gillham-Rice, both 17, were fatally stabbed by masked attackers at a party in the Emerson Valley area of Milton Keynes on October 19 last year.

Earl Bevans, accused of two counts of murder and two counts of wounding with intent, had previously pleaded not guilty to all four charges.

The jury selection for the seven-week trial at Luton Crown Court began on Monday, when Bevans, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to all four charges.

Trial judge Mr Justice Spencer told the jury about the change of pleas on Tuesday.

He said: "You were told yesterday that we required a jury to try five defendants.

"At the end of proceedings here in court, after you had gone home, one of the five defendants changed his pleas to guilty on all four charges he faced."

The judge then stressed Bevans' pleas "proves nothing as far as the other defendants are concerned" and told the jury they will be required to try the case on the evidence.

Charlie Chandler, 22, Clayton Barker, 20, both of Bletchley, Milton Keynes, and a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old deny two counts of murder and two counts of wounding with intent.

The trial continues.