THREE of the four men accused of killing a student at a New Year’s Eve party have previous convictions for drugs and knife crime, a jury has heard.

Billy Henham was allegedly beaten unconscious, stripped naked and thrown off a balcony at a disused building in Brighton on January 1, 2020.

The 24-year-old, from Henfield, suffered 11 rib fractures, extensive bruising to his scalp, face and neck and a brain injury.

Dushane Meikle, 27, Gregory Hawley, 28, Lamech Gordon-Carew, 20, and 18-year-old Alize Spence are on trial accused of his murder.

The court heard that Meikle has two previous convictions dating back to 2016 for dealing heroin and crack cocaine and carrying a meat clever at The Level skate park in Brighton in 2018.

Hawley, who was said to have been in charge of the squat, has 13 previous convictions for 31 offences dating back to 2008 when he was just 15.

The jury was told that in February 2020, having been released by police after his initial arrest following Billy’s death, he was caught with a folding knife with a 9cm blade.

Five months later, he was convicted possessing a bladed article, as well as two offences of battery after he punched two strangers in the street.

Spence, who was 16 at the time of Billy’s death, has four previous convictions for five offences, including three for possessing cannabis.

In December 2020, he was convicted of possessing a bladed article after a police stop and search revealed he was carrying a lock knife.

The men pleaded guilty to all of the previous offences recorded against them.

Gordon-Carew has no previous convictions, but the court was told he was charged with drug supply offences in May 2020 which are yet to be resolved.

After his arrest for Billy’s murder, Gordon-Carew fell asleep halfway through the 15 minute drive to the custody suite, the court heard.

Tests later revealed a high concentration of cannabis in his body. On his re-arrest in May last year, he said somebody called “Dread” was responsible for the murder.

Billy, who studied at Ravensbourne University in London, had spent Christmas with his family but wanted to see in the new year in a “lively” atmosphere, the court heard.

The final sighting of Billy was at 4.30am in All Sorts off-licence in North Street, diagonally opposite the squat where a New Year's Eve party was held.

His body, which had been dropped over balcony railings from a height of nearly 11ft, was discovered by police the following day.

Forensic experts discovered disinfectant in his hair while bloodstained areas where he had been beaten appeared to have been “diluted”, the court heard.

The jury was told that while his injuries would have rendered him unconscious, Billy would have been alive for at least an hour after the violent attack.

When Meikle was arrested in Hove six days later, police found two deleted photos on his phone of Billy’s body on the roof terrace.

Meikle, of Amberley Drive, Hove, Gordon-Carew, of Cheeseman Close, Hampton, Middlesex, Hawley, of no fixed address, and Spence, of Makepeace Road, Northolt, Middlesex, all deny murder.

The trial continues.