A JURY has begun deliberating the fate of two teenage boys and a woman accused of murder and conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.

The fate of the 16-year-old from Thurrock, the 17-year-old from Basildon, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and 26-year-old Danielle Russell, now hangs in the balance after the jury rose to deliberate their verdict just before 11am at Chelmsford Crown Court today.

The teenagers are accused of the murder of Anton Levin, who was stabbed to death at Russell’s flat on St Ann’s Road, Southend, on November 19, as well as conspiracy to rob and inflict grievous bodily harm on friend Abdullatif Abdulkadir and the attempted murder of Mr Abdulkadir.

Russell is also accused of the two counts of conspiracy.

JURORS deliberating the killing of a young man in Southend have been sent home after failing to reach a verdict.

During his trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Tajwar Alam, 19, admitted inflicting the stab wounds that killed Hassan Mohammed Ibrahim in York Road, Southend, on July 7 last year.

He has claimed he was acting in self-defence after Mr Ibrahim, 26, from Peckham pulled a knife on his friend and attacked him and jurors are deliberating this is true or whether he is guilty of murder.

The jury rose to consider their verdict shortly after 11am on Tuesday and will reconvene from 10am this morning.