Teen killer's mind 'blank' while stabbing girl

Holly Newton died after being stabbed multiple times

A teenager accused of murdering a 15-year-old girl said his mind went "blank" while he was stabbing her.

The 17-year-old boy told Newcastle Crown Court he could not remember attacking Holly Newton in an alleyway in Hexham in January 2023.

Holly, who just hours earlier had complained of the then 16-year-old boy "stalking" her, was stabbed multiple times, Newcastle Crown Court has heard.

On his fifth day giving evidence, the defendant, who has admitted manslaughter but denies murder, said he did not want to hurt Holly.

The court has heard the boy followed Holly for about 45 minutes after she left school on 27 January 2023 before stabbing her near Pizza Pizza on Priestpopple at about 17:00 GMT.

Jurors have seen CCTV footage of the defendant (in the red box) following Holly (in the yellow frame)

Under questioning from his barrister Nigel Edwards KC, the boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, said his mind went "blank" during the attack and he could not remember stabbing Holly.

He said he had taken an old, "blunt" kitchen knife from his home so he could "hurt or kill" himself, and he "genuinely" thought he was stabbing himself with it during the attack.

The boy also said he played video games which had guns and knives in and when someone was killed they would always come back to life.

He was asked if he had ever talked about stabbing people in real life and the boy said no, other than jokes with friends about trying to stab between their toes while missing their feet.

"Did you ever want to stab anybody?" Mr Edwards asked.

"No," replied the boy, who has been diagnosed with autism.

The kitchen knife used in the attack snapped during the stabbing

Mr Edwards asked the defendant if he wanted to kill or hurt Holly, to which the boy replied: "No."

In cross-examination by prosecutor David Brooke KC, the boy said he went into Hexham that day to speak to Holly and deliberately followed her, but then changed his mind about talking to her.

He said he went to walk past her when she spoke to him, and they then talked for about 15 minutes before he attacked her.

The youth said he did "accept" he stabbed Holly but he could not remember doing it.

Mr Brooke asked how, if the boy's mind was blank, he could remember thinking he was hurting himself during the attack.

"That's normally what I do when I go blank," the youth replied.

Mr Brooke also asked about other fights the youth had been involved in.

The boy said he had fought before but "only to look after" or "defend" people, adding: "I don't really like seeing bullies."

He previously said he had had "bad thoughts" in his head before the attack and his mind was making him see things that were not really there.

The boy also denies wounding another youth who was injured while trying to stop the attack on Holly.

Holly, from Haltwhistle, had 36 injuries inflicted by a knife which snapped during the assault, the court has heard.

The trial continues.