Jack’s stabbing ‘was accident’
A youth who stabbed a teenager to death after a night at a local funfair has told jurors: "It was an accident."
Jack Woodley was murdered by 10 youths who were out "looking for serious trouble" after he left Houghton FeastlastOctober,itisclaimed.
The 18-year-old was punched, kicked, stamped on and stabbed in the back, a court has heard. He later died in hospital.
The teen who inflicted the fatal knife wound has told jurors "he should've never died" and said the stabbing happened accidentally.
Ten youths, now aged between 14 and 18, deny murder and are being tried by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.
A 15-year-old, who accepts he stabbed Jack, has admitted manslaughter,whichtheother nine deny.
Giving evidence from the witness box, the young killer said he picked up a knife that night because he wanted to "scare people" after being told others at the fair were armed.
He told jurors he had the knife hidden in his bedroom andhepickeditupwhenheleft thefairandwenttogethiscoat, shortly before the stabbing.
The youth, who did not know Jack, said he had been told while he was at the fair therewasapossibilityofafight and that "Jack's friends possibly had knives on them".
He told jurors: "There was a lot of conversation going on, someone had mentioned go and get your knife. I wanted to go back anyway to get my coat on.
"I thought if Jack and his friends had knives and it was going to kick off I wanted to defend either myself or my friends if it came down to that.
"Also, I just wanted to scare peopleinaway,youknow,Jack and his friends to maybe back off."
Theyouthsaidhisknifewas "quite big, it was quite scary to be honest" and he put it in the waistband of his joggers when he got to his house and took it back to the fair.
Hetoldthecourtshortlyafter he got back to the fair, people started to leave and a fight did start.
He told jurors: "I heard someone say 'get out the chopper'. I didn't know if that was the lads I was with or Jack's friends because I was still under the thought of Jack and his mates have got knives."
He added: "I pulled out the knife to scare away Jack's friends and scare Jack and scare other people off."
Theyouthsaidhewasholding his knife out in his hand and the next thing he knew was "seeing feathers in the air and looking at the knife and it was red".
He added that he was unclear whether he had moved towards Jack in the moments before the stabbing and added: "It wasn't my intention to hurt Jack or even stab him.
"It's possible either I've stumbled forwards, because there was a lot going on, or he has fell back onto it."
The youth's barrister Nicholas Lumley QC asked him: "You accept you killed him?" He replied: "Yes I did." "I thought Jack and his friendshadknives.Thingshappened fast.
"It was an accident, the whole thing, it should never have gone into him, he should'veneverdied,heshould never have been stabbed, the whole thing is an accident.
"I never pulled the knife out with the intention to hurt Jack."
Prosecutors say that while only one youth inflicted the fatal stab wound, the other nine areguiltydueto"theconceptof joint enterprise".
The trial continues.