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A former De Montfort University student and rapper is on trial accused of killing another young man at a New Year house party.

Daniel Lena, who goes by the stage name Unknown T and recently appeared on stage with Drake at the O2 arena in London, had been in his first year of an economics and business degree at the Leicester university when he attended a New Year’s Eve party in Hackney, London.

During the house party, 20-year-old Steven Narvaez-Jara was attacked with a machete and fatally stabbed.

Lena, 20, has been charged with murder and violent disorder, along with Ramani Boreland, 21. A third man, Mohammed Musse, 21, has been charged with violent disorder.

Lena, who got an A* for computing, and an A in English language and literature at A-level, and the co-defendants deny all charges.

All three, who all live in Hackney, are on trial at the Old Bailey where Lena gave evidence in his defence on Friday.

The court heard that while Lena’s rap career had taken off in the months after the house party on January 1, 2018, it had been put on hold since he had been charged with murder. He was also been suspended by the university due to the police investigation.

Lena, who had a song reach number 48 in the UK singles charts, was charged in July 2019, days after he performed at the Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park.

Giving evidence, he denied being violent at the party, which had two members of security staff searching guests as they entered. He said he was unaware of anyone going equipped with a weapon.

Wearing a dark suit, white shirt and dark tie, bespectacled Lena told the court he had nothing to do with the death.

Asked by defence counsel David Spens QC if he punched anybody, Lena replied: "No, I did not."

Asked specifically if he punched the victim, Lena said: "I certainly did not."

The defendant also denied any knowledge of someone carrying a machete.

Lena said he arrived at the party shortly before midnight and smoked one of his two cannabis roll-ups some time later.

He said the party was "good vibes" but "ram-packed", and that because his glasses kept steaming up he spent a lot of time on the balcony.

Lena was on the balcony when he heard a disturbance inside, he said.

He told the court: "I was at the balcony door trying to see what was going on. At that point I saw somebody lunged towards Musse.

"People were moving reckless, there was a lot of arms swinging and at that point I noticed there were people with wooden slats."

Lena said he stayed where he was, but later found himself on the floor as the crowds surged in various directions.

The trial heard that Lena was identified as a potential suspect after being described by a witness as "the man in the white jumper".

But Lena said: "I don't wear jumpers - it's not my style."

He added he was "shocked and traumatised at what happened" at the party.

Lena was arrested days later, before being released on bail. He returned to De Montfort University to continue his course, but was later suspended due to the murder investigation and later deregistered.

He then decided to concentrate on his music career, telling the court: "My decision was to focus on music.

"At first I was balancing them both - music and university.

"But it came to a point where my success was going very well."

Lena told the court he signed to music company Universal in September 2018, and had gone on to perform around the world, including Japan and Ibiza.

He said: "I have become an established artist."

Mr Narvaez-Jara, a student of piloting and engineering at the University of Hertfordshire, was stabbed in the chest and arm during the attack, with the blow to the chest piercing his heart.

The trial continues.

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