A BRAVE taxi driver secretly tipped off police that he was carrying three stabbing suspects- leading them directly to two men who are now standing trial for murder.

Nico Ramsay, 19, was attacked in Queen’s Road, Southend, on February 13, and died four days later.

Troy Lewis, 21, of Odessa Road, Forest Gate, East London, and Nathan Sylvester, 25, of Cornwallis Gardens, Hastings, East Sussex, deny murder.

A third man, 22-year-old Allcie Holder, is accused of stabbing Mr Ramsay but has so far evaded capture.

Cabbie Darren Griffiths, a driver for AC Taxis in Southend, told Chelmsford Crown Court he got a call at 2.28pm to St John’s Court, in Westcliff Parade, Westcliff.

On his way he received a text message from the control centre, warning drivers about three black men who were wanted over a “serious assault” that afternoon.

Moments later, Mr Griffiths arrived at the pick-up and Lewis, Sylvester and Houlder got into the seven-seater.

He told the court: “My initial thought was it was just another job.

“A few seconds later a slight panic set upon me that I have just read a message saying: ‘Look out for three black males’ and then three black males arrived.”

Mr Griffiths immediately put the cab’s windscreen-mounted text system out of view of the three men.

They asked to go to Station Avenue in Prittlewell and spent the journey speaking in hushed tones.

Mr Griffiths said: “I tried my best to drive as slowly as I could. I did send a message asking for my journey to be traced.”

The message made clear the suspects were on board and controllers asked if they could call, but Mr Griffiths replied: “No.”

Instead, he was sent another message telling him to “keep driving slowly” as the police helicopter would start following him.

However, this did not happen before the cab was diverted to drop Houlder off at his girlfriend’s home in York Road.

He has since disappeared, but 25-year-old Elisha Francois has been jailed for perverting the course of justice, after police were able to trace the taxi booking to her phone.

Mr Griffiths continued to Sutton Road, where Sylvester and Lewis got out. Police arrested them moments later.

The trial continues.