A MAN who killed two people with a knife had already been convicted for carrying a blade, a court heard.

Rashane Douglas, 19, of Jade Place, Huddersfield was caught with a knife in public less than a year before he stabbed Joshua Clark, Haidar Shah, and Brandon Coope outside Maggie’s nightclub, in Commercial Street, Halifax on October 1, 2023.

Both Mr Clark, aged 21, and Mr Shah, aged 19, died from their single stab wounds, while Mr Coope, 18, survived.

The court heard on Thursday that Douglas – who denies two counts of murder and one of attempted murder and said he was acting in self-defence – was the subject of a suspended sentence at the time of the stabbings.

Robert Stevenson, junior for the prosecution, gave details of the conviction when reading out a number of agreed facts – details the defence teams do not dispute.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Police carrying out forensic enquiries at the scene in Halifax town centre Police carrying out forensic enquiries at the scene in Halifax town centre (Image: PA)

Douglas was found with a locking knife concealed within his waistband after being searched by a police officer late in the evening on November 17, 2022.

This was in an open car park area, on Fearnley Hill Drive, in Huddersfield, the court heard.

It came about after police stopped a vehicle and a search of the occupants was conducted.

Mr Stevenson said Douglas pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place on November 18, 2022 in relation to this and was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Douglas has already admitted to carrying a knife on the night of the stabbings, changing his not guilty plea to guilty on the first day of the trial.

The court heard today that Douglas entered Maggie’s at 1.53am on October 1 and passed through a metal detection arch.

Mr Stevenson said: “This metal detection arch was tested by the police and its effectiveness and reliability to detect cannot be relied upon.”

Police recovered a black-handle folding knife from a drain in the evening of October 1 after CCTV showed the possible discarding of a weapon by Douglas, the court heard.

Mr Stevenson said DNA matching that of Douglas’s was found on its handle.

Yaseen Iqbal, 18, of Hall Bower, Huddersfield, is also on trial accused of assisting an offender.

It is claimed he helped Douglas avoid arrest by fleeing the scene with him in a taxi, letting him stay at his house that night, and helping him dispose of the clothing he was wearing at the time.

But the court heard details of Iqbal’s police interviews after he was arrested late on October 1 and he said Douglas told him it was just a fight before they got their taxi home.

Iqbal said it was only the morning after that Douglas mentioned he thinks he might have “stabbed a few people”.

The 18-year-old claims he told Douglas he needed to leave and hand himself in at the police station.

Iqbal said: "I was shocked and confused, I pretty much thought he'd had a normal fight, I didn't even know he had a knife."

Douglas also denies a charge of wounding with intent in relation to Mr Coope.

The trial continues.