Five people are on trial after being charged with the murder of a 23-year-old man, who was found with stab wounds in Hatfield in 2019.

Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff said in an opening statement today in Cambridge Crown Court that alleged murderer Christy Bishop "lured Cameron Hill" to her flat on St Peters Close "where a group lay in wait to ambush him".

The other defendants including Nicholas Pitts, 40, of Stockbreach Road, Hatfield, Arnold Masumbundu, 20, of Lyme Farm Road, London, Nickell Moore, 25, of Between Streets, Cobham, and Najiib Hasan, 24, of Queen Adelaide Road, London, are claimed to be that group and have also been charged with murder.

The court also heard that Ms Bishop, who Ms Bickerstaff claims is a drug addict, bought her drugs from the Jo Jo line and Cameron, who worked for the Max Line. Both drug gangs had operations in Hatfield, the court heard.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Tributes still left on site of Cameron Hill's death in June 2020.Tributes still left on site of Cameron Hill's death in June 2020. (Image: Archant)

She also made reference to others, who played a role in the alleged killing and were in charge of the drugs gang known as the Jo Jo line, but had fled the UK after the 23-year-old's death on Monday, June 10, 2019. Both of these men booked return flights from the UK, one to Kuwait and another to Somalia, and have not returned.

Ms Bickerstaff also outlined some of the evidence in the case including a knife found, fingerprints and blood found at the flat. "All Mr Hill's blood, none of anyone else's blood," she said.

As well as this, the court will hear from a pathologist that examined Cameron's body, who had a total of 11 stab wounds, CCTV footage of the alleged murders, their transportation and Cameron, telephone records, police, forensics, motorway cameras and police body cameras.

"The pathologist cannot tell you how many knives caused these injuries and so cannot tell you how many assailants there were."

The court is also set to hear from a witness, who will explain what happened and who "hid" in a room and then a cupboard before climbing out the window.

Ms Bickerstaff contrasted this witness with Ms Bishop's behaviour, who she called "lying" and "devious" and did not tell police what happened.

"She knew she was responsible," she said. "[Due to] the lies told to get him there."

Ms Bickerstaff went on to say a neighbour living in the flat block heard a shout, which is believed to be Cameron Hill, saying: "Help me! I'm dying in here."

This neighbour then called the emergency service, who told him not to leave his flat. When police and ambulance arrived, the court heard, they found Cameron in the stairway of the common area of the flat.

And the police, the court heard, then talked to Ms Bishop, who told them at this time: "The geezer [Cameron] had been inside her address asking for help."

But she claimed, according to police, that she did not know him or what happened and was told by men to not ring emergency services, which she did later after some delay. Then Ms Bickerstaff told the court, Ms Bishop later said. "She knew him from around Hatfield but didn't know his name."

The court heard that police viewed Ms Bishop as "obstructive" and claimed she viewed Cameron as causing her a lot of "inconvenience".

She also told police, the prosecution claims, that she did not have a mobile phone, which the police then rang and heard it in her coat pocket but she refused to hand it over. Ms Bishop was then arrested on June 11.

Jason Gilzean, age 53, of Campion Road, Hatfield, is also charged with two counts of assisting an offender on two separate occasions

Namely, Mr Gilzean drove Mr Moore, Mr Hasan, and two other men, who fled the country, to London and then returned to Hatfield to pick up Mr Masumbundu and drove him to London after the incident.

"This was knowing a serious offence took place," Ms Bickerstaff said.

Mr Gilzean later told police he did not know these men had committed a crime when he gave them a lift. Though in an earlier statement, Ms Bickerstaff claims, he said he had been "roped into this thing".

"It's just unfortunate I may have given some really horrible people a lift."

When Mr Moore, Mr Hasan, and the two other gang men arrived at Princess Court just after 2.30 pm, CCTV shown to the court will show, they then went inside and Mr Hasan was seen "carrying a large black bin bag" the prosecution says. Mr Moore was claimed to have carried convenience store carrier bags.

The trial continues.