Party-goer had 'no idea' she filmed fight

Charlie Cosser had a cardiac arrest on the way to hospital, the court has heard

A party-goer who unknowingly filmed a fight at a party where a teenager was allegedly stabbed to death on a crowded dance floor has told jurors she had "no idea" what she was about to video.

A teenager, who is on trial at Brighton Crown Court and cannot be named for legal reasons, denies murdering 17-year-old Charlie Cosser, from Milford, Surrey.

Megan Roberts said she videoed the event because she liked the song Toxic by Britney Spears, before she realised what was happening.

Her footage has been played to the jury showing revellers dancing under disco lights in a marquee, with a fight visible before the recording ends.

Ms Roberts said shortly afterwards, a DJ announcement was made that police had been called and the party was over.

Asked why she took the video, she said: “I believe I liked the song that was playing… it was to do with music, I had no idea what I was about to catch on film.

"I think I was just filming (my) friendship group. I didn’t realise what I happened to be filming.”

The event, called BalFest, was attended by 100 people at a farmhouse and it is claimed Charlie was fatally stabbed on a crowded dance floor.

Other party-goers saw a teenager lying on the ground covered in blood, jurors were told.

Harriet White said she approached a man acting as security to ask about leaving the party in Warnham, West Sussex, on 23 July last year, the court heard.

But she said she walked away when she saw the boy on the ground by him, adding: "He didn't have a T-shirt on and he had blood all over his chest."

'Laddish voice'

A friend of the defendant said he believed he saw Charlie being helped by two other people.

He said he saw them "dragging him" and he went over because he was concerned.

He said: "They laid him down and there was blood all over his stomach."

Party-goer Amelia Richards said she had seen a group of three boys earlier that night and overheard one talking about wanting to stab someone.

She could not recall the words, but said it was "something along the lines of 'I'm going to stab someone tonight'".

Ms Richards said she did not know which boy said it, adding: "It wasn't like any of the farmers I knew who were there, the voice was more laddish."

The court has heard how Charlie was still conscious at 00:30 BST.

He suffered a cardiac arrest on the way to hospital, with internal bleeding from a cut to his aorta, and died two days later.

The defendant, who was 16 at the time, also denies having a bladed article.

The trial continues.