THE glass dish which cut Jimmy Mizen's throat when it was thrown at him was already "seriously cracked and weakened", the Old Bailey has heard.

Glass scientist Marcus Brew spoke in court today about the condition of the dish thrown at the teenager during a row at the Three Cooks bakery in Lee.

Mr Brew studied fragments of glass which were left at the scene following Jimmy's death on May 10 last year.

He said there was evidence of "scratches and abrasions" which probably occurred before the incident, and that the dish contained a small "defect" where part of the glass had not melted properly during factory production.

The court was told the 20-year-old dish was "seriously cracked and weakened" and that "a scratch can reduce the strength of glass by up to a quarter".

Mr Brew stressed that the condition of glass plays a major role in whether or not it smashes on impact with another object.

Concluding the case for the defence, Sally O'Neill asked the expert how hard he thought the dish must have been thrown.

He said the marks on the glass fragments indicated "moderate energy impact rather than very high or low".

Jimmy Mizen died when his jugular was cut after a glass dish was thrown at him.

He had just bought his first ever lottery ticket after celebrating his 16th birthday the previous day.

Jake Fahri, aged 19, of Milborough Crescent, Lee, denies murder and says he was acting in self-defence.

The Old Bailey trial continues.