Brooke Kinsella breaks down

Wednesday, 29 April 2009

Former 'EastEnders' star Brooke Kinsella wept yesterday (28.04.09) at the trial of three men accused of murdering her brother.

The 25-year-old actress was reduced to tears as the jury watched CCTV footage of her brother Ben Kinsella - who was fatally stabbed in June last year, aged 16 - which saw him stagger across a road and collapse in his friends' arms.

Three men - Jade Braithwaite, 20, Michael Alleyne, 18, and Juress Kika, 19 - are being tried for murder at the Old Bailey in London. All three have pleaded not guilty.

The jury were told a fight had started in a North London pub shortly before the stabbing.

Braithwaite had allegedly shouted: "I'll stab people up."

It is thought he then told a friend of Ben's: "Tell your boy if he wants trouble, I've got my tool on me and it will open you up."

After leaving the Shillibeers bar in Islington, the court heard Braithwaite returned to the scene in his car shortly afterwards with co-accused Alleyne and Kika.

A female witness said she saw Ben being kicked in the stomach and collapsing to the ground before being surrounded by all three men.

Ben died five hours later from 11 stab wounds.

Brooke - who played Kelly Taylor in the BBC1 soap - was joined in court by her parents, Debbie, 46, George, 48, and her younger sister Jade.

They were told Ben had not been involved in the bar fight.

In extracts played the jury, the three men spoke about their alibis, witnesses, CCTV footage and how they planned to get rid of their mobile telephones.

The trial continues.