Boy Guilty of Murdering Teen on Party Dance Floor

A teenager who stabbed a 17-year-old boy to death on a crowded dance floor has been found guilty of murder.

Charlie Cosser, from Milford, Surrey, was stabbed three times in the chest during an outdoor party in Warnham, West Sussex on July 23, 2023.

The teenager, who was 16 at the time of the attack and cannot be named for legal reasons, faces life in prison following a trial at Brighton Crown Court.

A jury unanimously found him guilty Tuesday of murder and possession of a sharp article.

The victim's family members cried and embraced each other as the verdict was delivered in court.

The trial heard that a fight broke out between the defendant, Charlie and two other boys on the dance floor after the defendant and his friends were asked to leave the party.

A partygoer unknowingly took video of the fight involving the accused as she filmed her friends dancing under the marquee at the BalFest event.

Opening the case on May 13, prosecutor Alan Gardner KC said: “In the darkness and noise of a crowded dance floor, his use of the knife and his stabbing went unnoticed by those nearby. proximity. »

The court heard from numerous witnesses who attended the party during the trial.

'Covered in blood'

A friend of the defendant said he drank an “excessive amount” of vodka and appeared “angry” after a man unsuccessfully tried to get him to leave the party over his behavior towards a young girl female.

The witness described hearing “arguing” inside the marquee before the defendant and others began fighting.

He said he later found the accused on the side of the road with his hands and pants “covered in blood”.

The young man and another friend of the defendant also said they heard him say “I stabbed someone.”

Mr Cosser was still conscious when police arrived at 12.30am BST and was able to give officers his name and address, the court heard.

He suffered a cardiac arrest on the way to hospital, with internal bleeding caused by a cut in a main artery.

The teenager died two days later, on July 25.

Jurors heard the defendant admitted he burned the clothes he wore at the house party because he said they were covered in his own blood.

The knife has not been found.

The accused, who denied the accusations, refused to testify at the trial.

He had previously pleaded guilty to murder at an initial appearance at Lewes Crown Court on July 28 last year, but successfully applied to have his plea withdrawn before sentencing.

Charlie’s family have already paid tribute to him, calling him a “beautiful boy” with a “kind heart”.

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