The jury in the Nilanthan Murddi trial has retired to consider its verdict.

The jurors must decide whether 31-year-old father of four Stephen Braithwaite is guilty of murdering the teen.

The court heard the unemployed labourer from Croydon stabbed 17-year-old Tamil student in the neck in a racist attack in the early hours of August 16, last year.

The prosecution say he was involved in an argument with Nilanthan yelling “Pakis” at his group of friends from the back of a cab on Sumner Road.

Nilanthan was drinking and toasting a friend’s birthday with a group of friends and was described as drunk and starting fights with passersby.

It is alleged after Mr Braithwaite’s cab pulled away from the group on Sumner Road, he got out and returned 20 minutes later to brutally end his argument with the teen.

He denies being in the cab and told the jury he was outnumbered by 10 to 15 of Nilanthan’s friends.

He also denies being armed with a folding knife, saying he wrestled a fixed blade “dagger” off Nilanthan before “pushing him away” hard.

He said he did not remember the knife making contact with Nilanthan.

He denies the murder charge.