Nugent Rowe is accused of Danny O’Shea’s murder after being ‘recruited’ by Kevin Richards from Neasden

An alleged killer has denied confessing to ‘shanking’ an innocent teenager in a botched revenge attack.

The Old Bailey heard claims Nugent Rowe, 29, from Harrow, was recruited by media mogul Chris Nathaniel to join a mob that murdered Danny O’Shea, 18.

Kevin Richards, 33, of North Circular Road, Neasden, is said to have organised the attack.

Prosecutors claim the attack was organised after Nathaniel’s business partner Paul Boadi was robbed of his BlackBerry.

One of the men allegedly recruited, 35-year-old Andrew Johnson, from Harrow, told the court Rowe was responsible for Danny’s death on December 2, 2011.

He said Rowe had confessed to the stabbing as they fled the scene in Custom House, east London, in a minibus.

But giving evidence, Rowe said: “I have no reason to have said that because I had no weapon on me.

“I did not say such words to anyone in the minibus.”

He said the comment had been made by Johnson’s brother Paul, 33, who is also on trial.

He added: “He wasn’t saying it to anyone in particular.”

Rowe described how he had joined in with a chase of ‘four to five’ youths, following behind Paul Johnson.

But he said he had lost sight of the pursuers and headed back to the minibus.

He added the Johnson brothers, with their cousin Ferron Perue, 24, from Harrow, started panicking when they saw ‘flashing blue lights’ heading towards the scene.

Rowe said he was paid £200 for his time once they had all returned to Isleworth.

The mob is also said to have included O’Neil Wareham, 30, from Harrow, David Hylton, 47, from Bloomsbury and Scott Marius, 45, from Maida Vale.

All seven men, Nathaniel and Boadi, both from Poplar, deny murder and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.

The trial continues.