Christopher Allbury-Burridge murder trial: One defendant fainted after being arrested on suspicion of Northampton killing

One of the four men accused of murdering a Northampton cannabis grower went into shock after being arrested, a court heard today (Thursday, August 5).

Joel Cyrus could not believe he was being detained on suspicion of murdering Christopher Allbury-Burridge and fainted shortly afterwards in December 2020.

On the fourth day of the murder trial, Northampton Crown Court heard from a Metropolitan Police officer who explained what happened when the 26-year-old was arrested.

Police had tracked down Cyrus and his three co-defendants using ANPR camera and mobile phone mast data.

The intelligence showed them going from London to the 33-year-old victim's home in Raeburn Road back to London and Norwich in the early hours of December 11.

Cyrus repeatedly said, "what's going on?" after being pulled out of the car he was in in Hoe Street, Leyton, having been surrounded by police vehicles at around 10.30pm on December 14.

He replied, "what!" to being arrested on suspicion of murder before he became unresponsive, showed signs of shock and collapsed on the ground, the officer told the court.

An ambulance was called, paramedics assessed Cyrus and decided he could be taken to Leyton Police Station by officers.

Calum Farquhar was arrested in London on the same day, Jordan Parker two days later, also in the capital, and Rakeem Leandre the next day in Norwich.

Mr Allbury-Burridge died from a stab wound to the chest sustained during an attempted robbery by the quartet of the cannabis grow he had in his spare bedrooms, according to prosecutors.

Cyrus, of Whitney Road, Leyton; Farquhar, 24, of Liverpool Road, Leyton; Leandre, 26, of Brewers Court, Norwich; and Parker, 24, of Chingford Road, Walthamstow deny murder and conspiracy to rob. Parker has pleaded guilty to possessing a knife.

The trial continues.