Jack Woodley: Boy, 15, denies intending to kill in knife attack

Jack Woodley was repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped upon before being stabbed

A 15-year-old boy who fatally stabbed a man during a mob attack did not intend to kill him, a jury was told.

Jack Woodley, 18, died from a single knife wound after being punched, kicked and stamped upon by a group of youths in Houghton-le-Spring in October.

The teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, admits manslaughter but denies murder. Nine other boys aged 14 to 18 deny both charges.

The boy told Newcastle Crown Court he wanted to "scare" but not hurt people.

Nicholas Lumley QC, for the defence, asked his client who killed Mr Woodley and the boy replied: "Me."

When asked "did you mean to kill him?", the defendant replied: "No, not at all."

'Words were twisted'

The court heard the teenager had moved to Houghton-le-Spring from elsewhere in the country five weeks before the stabbing on 16 October.

He said he had bought the knife six months previously from a friend as protection.

Jurors previously heard from witnesses that the boy claimed he had stabbed people before with the "Rambo-style knife".

Some of the other defendants recounted hearing rumours that he had been jailed for stabbing people, but the court heard he only had one conviction for possessing a knife in December 2020.

The boy denied ever telling anyone he had stabbed someone or served time in a young offender's institution, adding: "I think my words were twisted."

He said at the Houghton Feast funfair there was talk it could "kick off" between Mr Woodley's group of friends and the boys he was with.

Jack Woodley was attacked near the Britannia Inn in Houghton-le-Spring

The boy said it was suggested to him that he fetch a knife because someone claimed Mr Woodley's group might be armed.

He said he went home to get his coat and deliberated about the knife before deciding to take it.

When asked why he did so, he replied: "I thought if Jack and his friends have got knives and it was going to kick off I wanted to defend either myself or my friends.

"Also, I just wanted to scare people to back off. [The knife] is quite big, it's quite scary to be honest."

He said he believed if there was going to be a fight, it would be started by Mr Woodley's group.

The boy denied being friends with all but one of his co-defendants and said he had only met the rest of them that week. He also said he had never seen Mr Woodley before the attack.

'Get the chopper'

He said there were two distinct groups and his friends followed Mr Woodley's through the town centre towards the Britannia Inn, a 16-year-old boy ran up behind Mr Woodley and punched him.

The defendant said there were shouts of "get out the chopper" and he pulled out the knife and held it in front of him.

He said he could not be sure if he "stumbled forwards" or if Mr Woodley, who was being held by another youth and facing away from him, fell backwards on to the blade.

"It happened so fast," he said. "It wasn't my intention to hurt Jack or even stab him. It was an accident."

He remembered seeing feathers from Mr Woodley's ripped coat and blood on the tip of his knife.

He then panicked and fled, throwing the knife into a bush.

The trial continues.