‘I remember I was covered in blood’
Court hears from witnesses after stabbing deaths
WITNESSES have described being “covered in blood” after trying to save the lives of two men who died after a stabbing outside a Halifax nightclub.
Joshua Clark and Haider Shah died after being stabbed outside Maggie’s nightclub on October 1 last year. Their friend, Brandon Coup, also suffered injuries in the incident, said to have been carried out by Rashane Douglas, 19.
Mr Douglas, of Jade Place in Huddersfield, is standing trial at Bradford Crown Court accused of two counts of murder, attempted murder and wounding with intent, which he denies. He has previously admitted possession of a bladed article.
Yaseen Iqbal, 18, of Hall Bower in Huddersfield, is also standing trial accused of assisting an offender by facilitating travel, providing shelter and disposing of clothing. He denies the offence.
On Wednesday, jurors heard from witnesses who described the aftermath of the stabbing and efforts to help the men.
Laura Berkley gave evidence to the court after jurors heard her police interview where she told officers she saw three boys throwing punches towards a mixed-race boy on the crossroads. She said: “They were all throwing punches and then I saw the guy in the black coat with the hood up stab the first guy. Then there was a guy in a grey hoodie, which I think was the second or third one to get stabbed...”.
Ms Berkley told police she saw the man run away and she shouted for an ambulance before someone said: “He’s on the floor dying.”
She told police Mr Douglas was “ready to fight these lads.” He said a man in a hood was “backing off” but “didn’t look like he wanted to run, more of which one was going to get the knife first.” She added: “Ready to fight these three lads - obviously he knew it was going to happen, otherwise why would he carry a knife out? I don’t know, he wasn’t one to back down. He quickly knifed all three of them and then ran...
“He could have just run couldn’t he? He put the knife back in his pocket and ran with it.”
Ms Berkley told police she saw a male bleeding and took her hoodie off to “try and stop the bleeding.” She said the man had been stabbed in the chest and her “main focus” was getting her sister away from the scene. She added: “Then I went back to the body, but I didn’t hear no words.”
Jurors also heard the police interview with Jamie Pilkington who said he saw fighting as he walked on the road towards Victoria Theatre.
He said: “I saw a guy near the traffic lights stumbling. He looked a bit fatigued so I went over to him to make sure he was alright...He just fell in my arms and there was just blood - that’s when I realised what happened.”
He said he covered the man where the wound was and he “stopped breathing” and he began to perform CPR. He told officers: “I gave him mouth-to-mouth as well and got him breathing again - I did it multiple times - and then he started breathing more and more. I did that for 15 minutes I’d say until the police and ambulance came.”
Mr Pilkington said: “I just remember being covered in blood.” Mr Pilkington said he saw “a big group of lads” and assumed it was a fight.
Also heard was the interview of Ella White, who heard “bickering” before the three men were stabbed.
She said she “didn’t pay attention to it” before it “started getting rowdier” and then she “saw him go like that to one of them and they both collapsed and that’s when I rang 999 and he ran away.” She said a bouncer performed CPR alongside members of the public.
The trial continues.