Kami Carpenter, 22, fled to London after he and Remy Gordon stabbed aspiring footballer Cody Fisher, 23, to death on the dancefloor of a nightclub in Digbeth, Birmingham
The mum of the killer of aspiring footballer Cody Fisher tried to help him flee the country to a safe house in Jamaica following the murder, a court heard.
Kami Carpenter was found guilty of murdering Cody, 23, on the dancefloor of The Crane nightclub in Digbeth, Birmingham. The semi-pro footballer was stabbed to death in front of horrified revellers in a revenge attack on Boxing Day 2022.
Following the murder, Carpenter, 22, fled to London where he was arrested by police three days later. A court heard his mum Jahzeen Carpenter, 39, tried to mastermind his getaway by booking a flight from Heathrow and organising him a safe house in Spanish Town, Jamaica.
Jahzeen Carpenter has denied the charge at the ongoing trial.
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She has now gone on trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court charged with assisting an offender. Ms Carpenter’s sister Nadine Taylor, 45, was charged with the same offence but is too ill to stand trial.
The jury were told the two sisters tried to organise the killer’s escape after combing the internet for details about the police investigation.
Prosecuting, Andrew Wallace KC said: “We can see how often Kami Carpenter and his mother phoned each other. There are numerous voice notes on WhatsApp and messages between the two and even a family Whatsapp group.”
Cash including euros was stuffed into bags and given to Kami to aid his safe passage and pay off those who would be sheltering them in Jamaica, the court heard.
The jury were played several voice messages between the two during Kemi’s journey to London from Birmingham. One heard the mother say: “I just need to get him there and get him safe.”
Mr Wallace said: “Searches are made about Mr Fisher’s murder on various media websites by Nadine Taylor and then forwarded to Jahzeen and Kami Carpenter. “In one message Kami replies ‘Crane’ nightclub which was followed by an immediate phone call. The phone evidence shows Jahzeen and Kemi’s phone are near each other on the journey to London, whether they are in the same car or in convoy we do not know.”
Detective Sergeant Olivia Mason gave evidence after collating various phone calls, messages and meetings between Taylor and the two Carpenters.
She said: “The journey to London started around 2.15pm. The cars were captured on ANPR [automatic number plate recognition] cameras. The two were calling each other as they were not in the same car.”
After allegedly delivering her son to a safe house in London, Jahzeen returned to Birmingham. The two sisters were spotted with large suitcases outside a London address on December 28.
The escape was thwarted when police arrested Kami, who had the suitcases, cash and a ticket booked to Jamaica. The jury heard Jahzeen lost her temper when police intercepted her son, attacking the arresting officers.
Non-league footballer Cody, who played for Birmingham City, Walsall and Stratford Town, was killed after he accidentally bumped into one of his killers.
Last year, Remy Gordon, 23, and Carpenter were jailed for life at Birmingham Crown Court. The pair tried to escape the country together but blamed each other for the stabbing but the prosecution and police maintained it was Carpenter who delivered the fatal blows.
Cody suffered a stab wound to the heart and despite his girlfriend Jess Chatwin desperately trying to resuscitate him, he died at the scene. A court heard Carpenter and Gordon hunted down Cody after he accidentally touched Gordon’s back in Popworld, Solihull, 48 hours earlier.
Following the “trivial” altercation, they identified him on Snapchat before attacking him with a ferocious” Zombie knife as he enjoyed a night out with friends. Ms Carpenter, of Dudley, West Mids., denies the charge and the trial, which is expected to last five days, continues.
