Jack Woodley: Boy, 15, did not think knife attack would kill

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 believe the injury he inflicted was serious enough to kill, a jury was told.

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

The teenager admits manslaughter but denies murder. Nine other boys aged 14 to 18 deny both charges.

He told Newcastle Crown Court only the tip of the 25cm-long knife was used.

The jury previously heard that the boy, who cannot be identified, admitted stabbing Mr Woodley but had not intended to hurt or kill him.

Mr Woodley was set upon in the town centre after leaving the Houghton Feast funfair on 16 October.

During the melee, the 15-year-old produced a knife and stabbed Mr Woodley in the back causing a 7cm-deep wound that pierced his lung.

The injury led to Mr Woodley's death in hospital the following day.

'Scary knife'

The boy said he had brandished the knife to "scare" Mr Woodley and his friends after hearing rumours they may be armed.

He said when he was told, falsely as it turned out, Mr Woodley's group had knives and were planning to "cause trouble", the boy "felt I had a duty to scare away the people or protect myself and my friends".

When asked by prosecutor Mark McKone why he felt that duty, the boy replied: "Because I was the one with the scary knife."

Mr McKone asked the boy why he didn't tell people "the best way for you to be protected is just to go home", to which the youth replied: "I don't know, I ask myself this every day. It is a fair point."

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

The teenage defendant told the court he was left-handed but held the knife in his right hand and at arm's length.

He said either he "stumbled forward" or Mr Woodley fell on to the knife as others punched and kicked him.

Facing questions from his barrister, Nicholas Lumley QC, the boy told jurors he had seen feathers from Mr Woodley's coat and blood around the tip of the blade.

"I had seen how far it had gone in, I didn't think there was [any] chance of him dying or being severely hurt," he said.

"At the time I thought I've only put the tiniest bit of the knife in, I didn't think there was any way he could have died."

'Very scared'

The court heard he was arrested at his school two days after the attack, at which point he found out Mr Woodley had died.

In his police interview, he denied having any responsibility for Mr Woodley's death, said he never touched him and lied about having a knife and what we was wearing at the time.

He told jurors his "whole statement" to the police was "pretty much" a lie.

When asked why he had lied, he said: "I was scared, I didn't know what to do.

"[Murder] is a big thing to be charged with and big thing to happen."

A 15-year-old boy admits stabbing Jack Woodley with a 25cm-long knife

He said he had never seen Mr Woodley before the fight and did not know him at all.

He also said he did not really know most of the other defendants, including the 16-year-old boy who instigated the attack by punching Mr Woodley.

"I only know them to an extent now because I've been sitting in the dock with them," he said.

The boy said he acknowledged "other kids were involved" in the attack but he was ultimately responsible for Mr Woodley's death, adding: "If it wasn't for me having that knife, Jack probably wouldn't have died so I feel like I'm the one who should be sitting on trial, not these other lads."

The trial continues.