A jury has been sworn in for the trial of five teenagers accused of murdering another youth when rival gangs clashed in a street.

The panel of seven men and five women, with two reserves, have been sent away until tomorrow, when the case into the killing of Kyle Yule will be opened at Maidstone Crown Court by the prosecution.

Victor Maibvisira, 19, three 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old all deny murdering 17-year-old Kyle. They also all denied violent disorder.

Kyle was fatally stabbed in East Street in Gillingham as he tried to flee to his home in nearby Hamilton Road on Friday, October 6, last year.

A previous hearing was told he was chased from a Renault Clio and stabbed under his right armpit as violence broke out between gangs from Chatham and Gillingham.

Maibvisira, of St John’s Road, Gillingham, and one of the 17-year-olds have admitted threatening “another” with a machete in Gillingham Road, Gillingham, six days earlier on October 1.

A 16-year-old has denied affray, using unlawful violence, on that date.

Maibvisira and the four others, from Gillingham, the London Borough of Croydon, Sittingbourne and Stevenage, Hertfordshire, are remanded in custody.

Judge Adele Williams said the trial is expected to last up to six weeks. Jurors will be taken on a “view” of the crime scene on Wednesday.

The judge warned about improper use of social media during the trial. She added: “Please do not feel daunted by your task.”

Excluded from sitting on the jury were residents of Chatham and Gillingham and anybody with connections to various commercial premises.

These include Foot Locker in Chatham and, in Gillingham, Pizza Bello, the Southern Belle pub, the Fleur de Lis pub, Kaya Barbers, M&B Newsagents and McDonald’s.

Other exclusions were regular users of Gillingham railway station, anybody with a relative or close connection to Gillingham streets including East Street, High Street, Barnsole Road and Corporation Road, and anybody with connections to Gillingham Social Services.