St Neots man ‘stabbed victim 12 times’ in fatal attack at pub - trial hears

Cambridge Crown Court (Image: Archant)

Mr West was stabbed 12 times and despite “increasingly desperate” efforts to save him, he died in the early hours of October 28 last year outside the Monkfield Arms pub, in Cambourne.

Nazir, 20, of The Crescent, in St Neots, is charged with murder, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm with intent and having a bladed article, all of which he denies.

The jury, made up of eight men and four women, heard that Mr West and Mr Berryman, along with other family and friends, had attended a Halloween party at the Monkfield Arms on the night of October 27.

Angela Raffety QC told the court that witnesses described Nazir as “acting strangely” during the evening and approaching females in the pub, including one of the bar staff, and flirting with them, all of whom rejected him.

Cambridge Crown Court (Image: Archant)

She said: “Nazir was not having a successful evening and he became agitated, many of the men in the pub were becoming irritated by his behaviour.”

Mrs Rafferty said there was no confrontation in the lead up to Mr Berryman being injured, but he had just won a pool game against Nazir and thought maybe that had angered him.

“There was no exchange, nothing to explain what happened next,” she told the court.

She explained to the court that Nazir took a step towards Mr Berryman and swung his arm out and “connected with Mr Berryman’s chest”.

Mr Berryman did not realise he had been stabbed, but felt something warm trickling down his chest. Witnesses thought Mr Berryman had been punched and some even thought it was fake blood as it was a Halloween party.

Mr Berryman suffered two significant wounds, one to an artery in the chest and the second pierced the fluid around the heart. He also suffered significant blood loss and a collapsed lung.

The court heard that Mr Berryman had suffered life-threatening injuries and Mrs Rafferty said: “Without prompt medical treatment, he almost certainly would have died from his injuries. Mr Nazir took a knife out with him to that pub and deliberately used it.”

The court heard there was an altercation between Mr West and Mr Nazir at the pool table when Mr West realised his friend had been injured and he went outside.

Mrs Rafferty told the court, witnesses thought Nazir had punched Mr West, but as he fell to the floor, the knife fell also and it became clear that during a sustained attack, Nazir had stabbed him repeatedly, rather than punched him.

Mr West suffered 12 stab wounds, seven to his back, two to his buttocks and three to his chest. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, Mr West died at the scene.

During a police interview the following day, shown via a DVD recording, Mr West’s wife Rebecca was heard telling police officers how she became hysterical when she realised her husband had been stabbed.

“People were putting pressure on the wounds on his back, but I don’t think anyone realised how many times he had been stabbed. I was talking to him and shouting for people to call an ambulance. I was hysterical, I was screaming his name, I just didn’t know what to do.”

Rebecca came outside from the pub and saw her husband laying on the floor.

She said: “He was laying on his front, he was breathing, but completely helpless. He was trying to breathe but he couldn’t talk. I told him I loved him and he needed to stay with me. A doctor came over and he was shouting for everyone to get out of the way. I was hysterical. Chris was rolled over and he was unconscious. I just wanted to hold him, to hold his hand, but that wasn’t helpful so I just sat and watched.”

A DVD featuring a police interview with Mr Berryman, who survived despite suffering stab wounds to his chest, was also played to the court.

Mr Berryman said: “[Nazir] took a step towards me and I saw his arm come around. He hit me with something and I just felt something warm. I was shocked. I looked down at my t-shirt and I saw the blood, it was everywhere. It all happened so quickly.”

The case continues.