A video of 25-year-old Jake Hill rummaging among the shrubs outside the Eclipse nightclub for a hunting knife was shown at his trial.
In the footage, Hill approaches the crowd that had gathered outside. A jury heard during his trial that he slashed and stabbed many victims with his knife; CCTV footage showed some of the victims falling backward after being injured.
After being stabbed in the abdomen, 32-year-old rugby star Michael Allen collapses to the floor, as seen in the video. He died on the spot, and his death was attributed to severe internal bleeding.
Hill, a resident of Bodmin, has adamantly denied any involvement in the crimes that occurred on April 30, 2018. He was charged with the murder of Mr. Allen, as well as the attempted murders of Ryan Burger, Liam Phillips, and Ryan Parsons.
Hill is on trial with two other 22-year-olds from Bodmin, Tia Taylor and Chelsea Powell, for the ‘joint enterprise murder’ and attempting to pervert the course of justice. From their entry into the nightclub earlier that evening until the trio departs from the murder scene together, a lengthy compilation of CCTV, dashcam, and bodyworn film follows all three defendants.
According to the prosecution, Jake Hill’s violent outburst happened amid other chaos when a group of about 15 were in a scuffle. Hill went on a “knife rampage,” as one eyewitness put it. According to the prosecution, Jake Hill was the one responsible for inflicting the wounds on members of the group via stabs and slashes. The prosecution claims that Powell and Taylor willingly subjected themselves to a violent atmosphere and showed a readiness to participate in that violence even though they didn’t have to do so.
Taylor later denied Hill’s presence when police searched her residence; nevertheless, he was hiding in the loft. Police also claimed that Powell had lied to them about her role in the event.
An emotional memorial adorned with flowers and images of Mr. Allen—known as ‘Chabel’ or ‘Mike’—has been erected at the rugby club where he formerly played in Bodmin when he relocated from Liskeard in Cornwall. His loved ones paid homage to his passing, and many in the community expressed gratitude for everyone’s support.
