A TEENAGER took a knife from a friend’s garden and stabbed a dad before asking his mum to get rid of his clothes, a court heard.

The 16-year-old boy is standing trial accused of murdering James Gibbons, 34, on May 2 by stabbing him four times in the abdomen.

The boy took to the witness stand yesterday at Chelmsford Crown Court to tell the jury he felt the need to protect his friends.

He said: “I was walking towards Iris Mews in Laindon when a group ran towards my friend and I and said they have got weapons and are trying to fight us.

“I went to see what was going on and one of the boys was upset and scared. I then saw Mr Gibbons who was aggressive and angry and shouting.

“I went to look for a bottle to scare him away from the boys and then went to a friend’s shed to get a knife.

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“I didn’t intend to injure him but just wanted to scare him and tell him to leave the boys alone. I went through the alley and pulled it from my sleeve and showed it to him.

“He became very, very angry and grabbed me by the zip of my jacket and swung me around. He pulled something black from his waist band and I hit the wall as he swung me around.”

The teenager told the court he punched Mr Gibbons in the head and the boy said he was hit in the head before he stabbed the dad-of-four.

He said he felt scared for his life.

Speaking to the jury the boy added: “I lashed out until he let go of me and I ran away.

“I didn’t believe I had any other options and thought I was going to die.

“I chucked the knife in a bush and went home, I asked my mum to take my clothes to my nan’s and told her a really poor excuse for this.”

Echo:

He told the court he then had a bath and was scared about going to prison after the incident.

The court previously heard Mr Gibbons had stepped in to help a homeless man being confronted by a group of youths.

The court was shown CCTV of one boy throwing a brick at the homeless man.

The trial continues.