Jack Woodley: Boy, 15, felt scared and sick after stabbing

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

A teenage killer who stabbed a man in a mob attack told a jury he felt "sad" the next day when he cleaned the knife.

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

The 15-year-old defendant admits manslaughter but denies murder. Nine others aged 14 to 18 deny both charges.

The boy told Newcastle Crown Court he lied to police three times but would eventually have confessed.

The jury previously heard the teenager, 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 and led to Mr Woodley's death in hospital the following day.

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

The boy said he knew he had "accidentally" injured Mr Woodley but did not think the depth of the wound would be fatal.

On 17 October, the boy retrieved the 25cm-long knife, which he had bought for "protection" while living elsewhere in the country, from a bush. He then cleaned it and gave it to a girl to look after.

When asked by prosecutor Mark McKone QC how he felt cleaning Mr Woodley's blood from the blade, the boy said: "I had a lot of emotions but mostly sadness and scared."

He said he could not sleep the night after the attack and "couldn't eat at all", adding: "I just felt extremely sick and was very scared to be honest."

He admitted throwing the clothes he was wearing during the attack into a river.

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

The court heard he was interviewed three times by police and lied repeatedly, denying that he had touched Mr Woodley or had a knife.

He said he was "scared" and "not thinking straight" as he had only just found out Mr Woodley had died.

When asked how he felt telling a "pack of lies", the boy said: "Disappointed in myself but at the same time I don't really remember my feelings because I was zoned out with shock."

He said the "truth and reality" of the situation hadn't "sunk in" yet, and it was only later when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter that it did.

Mr McKone asked the boy if he had considered giving himself up, to which the boy replied: "Yes."

He told the jury: "If I'd had any longer I would have but I got arrested [at school] two days after the incident."

'Don't feel too good'

A 16-year-old boy who triggered the group attack when he ran up and punched Mr Woodley said he had not known others would join in.

The boy said he could not remember why he attacked Mr Woodley, who he did not know, but said he had only been expecting a "one-on-one fight".

He said he threw four or five punches and put Mr Woodley in a headlock before being pulled away by a girl.

He said he had never spoken to the 15-year-old boy and did not know the youth had a knife.

His lawyer, David Lamb QC, asked him how he felt about Mr Woodley dying, to which the boy replied: "I don't feel too good, to be fair. I'm sorry for what happened.

"He shouldn't have lost his life."

Mr Lamb told the teenager "a boy died that night", to which the youth replied: "Yeah, it's ridiculous".

Mr McKone asked the boy if he felt he was to "blame for Jack Woodley's death", to which the youth said: "In a way because I started the fight but I never knew anyone else was going to jump in."

'Hoods up'

Under cross-examination, the youth repeatedly said he could not remember why he had attacked Mr Woodley as it was "so long ago".

When asked if the attack was random or premeditated, he said there would have been a reason but he could not remember what, saying: "It just went out my head."

The boy was asked if he was angry when he launched his assault, to which he replied: "A little bit, yeah. I must have been to actually hit him."

He could not recall why he was riled and denied feeling "excited" about the attack.

The boy also said he could not recognise the others involved as they all "had their hoods up".

The trial continues.