A TEENAGER has appeared in court and denied murdering an 18-year-old man in Bury.

Appearing via a video link at Manchester Crown Court, the 17-year-old youth, wearing a grey sweatshirt, pleaded not guilty to murdering Abdikarim Abdalla Ahmed, in Bury on March 11.

He also denied manslaughter and possessing a knife in Haymarket Street, Bury.

The youth, from Kearsley, but who cannot be identified, appeared before Judge Alan Conrad QC and was remanded in custody.

A date for his trial has been set for August 1 and it is expected to last up to seven days.

Abdikarim, of Willows Lane, Bolton, had gone to Bury with friends and was involved in an 'altercation' with another group of youths during which he was stabbed in the chest.

He was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary but died later the same day as a result of his injuries.

Following the teenager's death his mother paid tribute to him.

She said: "My beautiful boy Abdi passed away far too young and with his whole life ahead of him, he was taken from us too soon, and in the worst possible way.

“My boy was a victim of knife crime, I beg all parents to speak to their children and know what’s going on in their lives before their child is taken away."