A quietly spoken 24-year-old woman gave evidence behind a screen this week - as she described how she saw the three men charged with murdering footballer 'Izzy' Mohammed handling a knife in the kitchen of the flat during a birthday party.

Sophie Ellis told the jury how she was at a party in the flat of her friend Ailicia Smith at Salt Hill Mansions on Saturday, July 8 last year.

Oladapo Obadare, 25 - one of the men charged with murder - also lived there.

Questioned by prosecutor John Price at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, Miss Ellis confirmed that during a police interview she had drawn a picture of a knife she saw being handled that night by Obadare and his fellow defendants Ryan Fuller-Bent, 20 and Ricky Champion Musaba, 21 who were also at the party.

Asked what they were doing with the knife Miss Ellis said: "They were just holding it, passing it round."

Asked if she had seen it pass from one person to another she said 'yes'.

She described the knife as having a blade that folded in.

Asked if she could remember who had originally produced the knife from his pocket she said no but was reminded by Mr Price that during her police interview she had said the knife came out of Ricky Champion Musaba's pocket.

She said she had seen Obadare with knives on other occasions, in his car when it was parked outside the flat and in the kitchen at the flat.

'Izzy' Mohammed was fatally stabbed in nearby Salt Hill Park in the early hours of Sunday, July 10 just a day after the party where Miss Ellis saw the knife.

The prosecution alleges that 'Izzy' Mohammed was stabbed in the abdomen by Obadare who accused him of selling drugs to 'his customers'. Mr Mohammed dies three weeks later.

All three defendants are pleading not guilty. Obadare also denies a charge of intimidating a witness while he was in jail using a mobile phone.

The trial continues and is expected to last until late April.