Ilkeston Stabbing Witness Tells 999 “There’s a Lad in the Road Dying”

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A witness who called 999 after seeing 18-year-old Noah Smedley collapse in the street from a fatal stab wound told the operator, “There’s a lad in the road dying,” a court has heard. 

The trial at Derby Crown Court revealed additional details into the horrific incident, with members of the public testifying that they desperately tried to save the teenager’s life as he lay bleeding in Rose Avenue, Ilkeston, shortly after 7 p.m. on December 28, 2023.

The chilling emergency call was one of several desperate attempts to help Mr Smedley, who had suffered a single stab wound. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic and distressing, with passers-by administering CPR before paramedics arrived.

Hassan Mahmood, a chef who made the emergency call, said he initially mistook the teen for someone drunk. “He was swaying side-to-side… then I saw the left side of his jacket soaked in blood,” he said in a statement read out in Derby Crown Court. “His eyes were half open. I couldn’t see him breathing properly, but his chest was rising.”

Sarah Nicholson, who passed by in an Uber, recalled seeing a group surrounding the victim. “He was lying on his back, pale and making gurgling noises,” she told the court. “Blood was running down the road, and two women were doing chest compressions.”

Off-duty police officer Kylie Swain, who also arrived at the scene, described the young man’s condition as critical and immediately alerted ambulance services. “He was gasping like a fish… he looked grey and yellow. It didn’t look good,” she said.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Smedley was stabbed by Charlie Hartle, who was 17 at the time and is now also 18. Hartle denies murder and is currently standing trial. Prosecutors claim he stabbed Mr Smedley during a meeting arranged to buy cannabis, then fled the scene.

According to the Crown’s case, Hartle arrived with three others, while Mr Smedley approached them on an electric scooter. Without warning, Hartle allegedly stepped forward and stabbed him before running away. He later attended a party where he is said to have admitted to the stabbing, then took a taxi to Derby, contacted his father, and returned home to Stanley.

Police arrested him shortly afterward at Ilkeston police station. He had reportedly changed clothes, cleaned himself, and disposed of both his phone and the weapon described as a Rambo-style knife. Investigators say Hartle has refused to disclose where these items were discarded or who may have helped him.

In a prepared police statement, Hartle admitted causing the fatal injury but claimed he acted in self-defence. He alleged prior threats and tensions with Mr Smedley, stating: “I thought he was reaching for a weapon. I panicked and lashed out. It was instinct. I never intended serious harm.”

The trial at Derby Crown Court continues.