The father of a 16-year-old boy convicted of driving the getaway car in a shocking stabbing has been grilled over his alleged involvement in moving the vehicle.
Alfie Benson, then 16, was found guilty of manslaughter after he drove three associates in a stolen VW Golf to what became the scene of a murder in Withington in 2022.
Tafari Smith, Lewis Ludford and Yousef Sesay were convicted of murder after 17-year-old Kyle Hackland was stabbed to death on Southlea Road. Benson then drove the trio to his flat in Stockport as they left Kyle to die in the street.
Now Benson's father, Carl Benson, 44, has gone on trial accused of assisting an offender. The prosecution allege that he helped to remove the Golf from outside his son's flat, which he denies.
Cross-examination from both sides at Manchester Crown Court yesterday (November 20) centred on Mr Benson's whereabouts on the day of the murder, and on his mobile phone records.
The jury were told how, shortly after the murder, Alfie Benson, Smith and Sesay went to Alfie's flat on Wellington Road in Stockport, before travelling to Rackhouse Road in Wythenshawe.
Carl, who works as a roofer, said he had been 'fitting skylights' at a property in Heaton Moor when he got a call from Alfie's aunt Amanda Seddon at 12.06pm.
"She had heard about something happening in Burnage with a 16-year-old boy being stabbed," Mr Benson told his defence barrister Nicola Carroll. "She wanted to check it wasn't Alfie."
Mr Benson called his son, who did not pick up, then called Yousef Sesay, who passed the phone to Alfie. "As soon as I heard his voice, I knew he was OK," Mr Benson told the court.
Prosecution barrister Rachael Woods later asked the defendant if he asked his son what had happened. "Did you not want to know what the panic was for?," she asked. "No, he said he was OK," Mr Benson replied.
"That would have taken seconds - you were on the phone for almost a minute. Did he say that his best friend had been stabbed?" she continued.
"If he had, he would have been in that police station in five minutes flat," Mr Benson said, maintaining that he was not aware then of the seriousness of what happened.
Mr Benson later drove to Rackhouse Road to collect Alfie at around 2.10pm. He told the court he wanted to take his son back to his home in Burnage, but they instead returned to Alfie's accommodation in Stockport.
The court heard that, during this drive, Alfie's phone disconnected from the network, at around 2.21pm. A Major Incident Analyst at GMP earlier gave evidence that this could have been for a number of reasons, including being placed in airplane mode or a dead battery.
Mr Benson denied encouraging his son to get rid of his phone, which was never recovered by police.
During this drive, Carl Benson's handset received a number of notifications, including from Yousef Sesay and from his son Ryan, who sent him an unknown number, which Alfie then rang.
Ms Woods asked why his son was sending him phone numbers 'during a crisis'. Mr Benson said he did not know, that it had been Alfie making the call, and that he did not recall overhearing anything that was said.
"I was asking Alfie what happened, but he said it was nothing to do with me, he was shutting me down," Benson said.
The court then heard how Mr Benson stopped between the McVities Factory and the Tesla Garage on Wellington Road, where a male got into the back, sitting behind Alfie.
'He asked me to pull over and let his friend get in," Mr Benson told his defence barrister. "I didn't ask who it was, I presumed it was someone from his accommodation."
But Ms Woods questioned Mr Benson over this, saying it was the first time he had ever admitted in court that there had been a third person in the car.
"You were asked by police if you picked anyone up," she said. "Why has it taken you quite so long to remember this vital piece of evidence?"
"It was three years ago, lots of things have happened since then," Mr Benson replied.
"You had an inkling that your son had been involved in a very serious incident," Ms Woods went on. "You went to pick him up from an address you had never been to before.
"The last thing you would want is to pick up a complete stranger on the side of the road at a time of massive family crisis. You now have no choice but to admit someone else was in that vehicle. With the CCTV, the net has tightened around you."
Having picked up this third individual, at around 2.21pm, Mr Benson's Land Rover was seen on Manchester Road, turning right onto Cambridge Road, where the Golf was parked, close to Mr Benson's flat.
A figure was seen on CCTV getting out of the vehicle and running down Cambridge Road. The Land Rover and the Golf were later seen moving off along the road, then travelling in opposite directions. It was eventually recovered in Salford bearing false plates.
"The only person who had the keys was Alfie," Ms Woods alleged. "He would have had to pass them to the third person. Did you witness this?" "No, I am positive," Mr Benson replied.
"Do you agree that the car was a piece of evidence that connected your son directly with a very serious offence?" Ms Woods asked. "I wouldn't know," Mr Benson answered.
Jurors also heard that Alfie Benson had travelled to North Wales the following day. Carl Benson later collected his son and returned to Manchester.
The pair were seen on bodycam footage embracing at Cheadle Heath police station before Alfie was led away and arrested on November 24.
Carl Benson, of Arbor Drive, Burnage, denies assisting an offender.