Two men & teen on trial for murder of Cody Fisher at Digbeth nightclub in Birmingham

Two men and a teenage boy stabbed a footballer to death in a nightclub after he accidentally bumped into one of them, a court heard.

Cody Fisher, 23, was knifed on the dancefloor of the Crane nightclub in Digbeth, Birmingham in front of horrified revellers on Boxing Day 2022. Mr Fisher suffered a stab wound to the heart and despite his girlfriend Jess Chatwin desperately trying to resuscitate him, he died at the scene.

Kami Carpenter, 21, Remy Gordon, 22, and Reegan Anderson, 18, were charged with murder. On the first day of their trial at Birmingham Crown Court, jurors heard they killed Mr Fisher in a “ferocious” attack after identifying him on Snapchat.

Michael Duck KC, prosecuting, said 48 hours before the killing Mr Fisher had been in another club when he accidentally touched Gordon’s back. Mr Duck said: “It was not a matter of chance Cody Fisher was attacked on Boxing Day in 2022 in that Crane nightclub. It wasn't a flash of temper.

“The history of this case begins on December 24, Christmas Eve, 2022 in a premises in Solihull town centre, Popworld. Cody Fisher and his close friend happened to be in that bar on Christmas Eve among hundreds of people.

"It was packed and the inevitable consequence in that sort of environment is that people are going to come into contact with each other. It is simply inevitable. The sort of thing normal people accept and don't rise to. It's as straightforward as this.

“Cody Fisher and his friend are making their way towards the exit, having made arrangements to be picked up by Cody Fisher's girlfriend outside, and they have to move through a crowd of people.

“Tragically, among that crowd was Remy Gordon along with a friend of his. They had also arrived at Popworld and there was a brief contact between Cody Fisher and Remy Gordon's back as he made his way towards the exit."

The court heard Gordon turned to Mr Fisher and asked him: “Who are you pushing?” Mr Duck added: "He used that as an excuse to threaten Cody Fisher with violence. In that cliche way Mr Gordon suggested they went outside to resolve that difficulty. The difficulty he, quite frankly, created."

Mr Fisher told Gordon “If you want to fine” but the pair never did and he left the venue to meet his girlfriend. The court heard Gordon, who had never met Mr Fisher before, found a picture of him on social media.

Mr Duck said: “Remy Gordon harboured very real resentment about that incident. In a short period of time he got hold of an image of Cody Fisher from social media. He circulated it to his friends in an attempt to find out who knew a bit more about him.

“This is a very early demonstration of the extent to which Mr Gordon felt he had a right to be offended, and much worse, felt he had a right to seek retribution."

The court heard Mr Fisher was a semi-pro footballer, who played left-back for Stourbridge FC and had trained with Birmingham City FC’s academy. Mr Duck said at 2.54am on Christmas morning, Gordon sent a message to a Snapchat group, including Carpenter and Anderson, which said: "Who knows this little pip squeak?"

He says Gordon then sent the group a picture of Mr Fisher and his friends, with the caption: "Due to shank him up." The court heard Gordon sent another message, saying: “My man thinks he's bad. Posh youth."

Mr Duck said Gordon told the social media group Mr Fisher “thinks he’s Superman” adding: "I looked at him thinking bro did that really come out of your mouth." The prosecutor said Gordon and Carpenter exchanged messages about how to smuggle a “large knife” into The Goose pub in Selly Oak. The court heard Gordon provided information about security guards using a “wand” device to detect weapons.

Jurors heard on the night of the murder Mr Fisher was in the Crane nightclub in Digbeth, Birmingham. He was stabbed in the chest with the blade slashing the main valve of his heart and he died at the scene.

Mr Duck said: "Emergency services were called but such was the nature of the injury he died at the scene while medical attention was administered to him.”

The court heard the defendants fled the club and met up again at a location around three miles away. Carpenter, of no fixed address, Gordon, of Rednal, and Anderson, of no fixed address, all deny murder and affray. The trial, which is expected to last six weeks, continues.