TWO brothers accused of murdering Kent teenager Christopher Alaneme have been acquitted after a judge found there was no case to answer against them.

Gerry and Sean Duhig showed their relief on hearing last Friday that they would be discharged, leaving three men remaining in the dock.

But it was not until Monday that Mr Justice Goldring formally ruled in their favour.

Gerry, 28, and Sean Duhig, 24, of Camberwell, south east London, had denied killing Mr Alaneme, 18, who had moved from Penge to Sheerness, where he was stabbed on April 21 last year.

Gerry Duhig claimed he never saw anybody with a knife. His brother made no comment in police interviews.

The judge told jurors: "I have decided that the evidence cannot establish that they knowingly took part in the attack on Chris Alaneme with the intention of causing really serious injury with a knife."

He added: "I emphasize the fact that I have reached this legal decision with respect to two of the defendants says nothing about the guilt or innocence of the remaining three whose case you will continue to try."

Terance Beaney, 25, Peter Connolly, 30, and Andrew Giblin, 28, all from the Peckham area, deny murdering Mr Alaneme and wounding Mark Davies with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.