Son of alleged murder victim tells court he saw his dad dying after knife attack in Gateshead
by Rob Kennedy · ChronicleLiveThe son of alleged murder victim Gary Belfield has told how he saw his dad dying after they came under attack by masked knifemen in their home.
Luke Williams and Mr Belfield were about to leave the flat in Felling, Gateshead, when they were suddenly set upon by two people they found "creeping" in their hallway. Both men were repeatedly stabbed and Mr Belfield, 40, died of his injuries.
Prosecutors say the attackers were Leandro Lopes and a 17-year-old male and it is claimed the violence was organised by a 15-year-old girl, who is said to have watched the violence from outside through a window. All three deny murdering Mr Belfield and attempting to murder Mr Williams and are standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court.
Mr Williams, 22, was wearing a black sling on his left arm and had a bandage on his right wrist in his video-recorded interview with police on May 2, which was played to the jury. He said he had been to a local pub on the evening of Saturday April 27 this year and were watching football on the TV.
After having a drink, they went home so he could get changed and let the dog out before they planned to go back out for a late night. He said they ate some chips and were leaving the flat when they came under attack.
Mr Williams said: "We literally got up and were about to leave the doorway to exit the flat and in the hallway there were these two lads with balaclavas and all black clothing creeping in the hallway. We didn't hear the door, the dog didn't hear the door.
"There were no words exchanged. I got attacked in the face. I'm pretty sure I got stabbed in the face but it hit my jaw bone so nothing pierced through.
"Obviously that shocked me. I was trying to talk to them to see who it was but there was still no response. They started to attack me in my arm multiple times.
"When they were attacking my arm another guy came up and jumped on my dad. My dad fell over and he was on the floor at this point with his legs and hands in the air trying to defend himself.
"I could see he was stabbing my dad in his ribs and neck. I was trying to defend myself at this point.
"The last time I got stabbed to my arm I turned away and then got stabbed in the back."
Mr Williams said he tried to fight back and grabbed the knife by the blade and wrestled his assailant to the sofa. He said he tried to turn the knife on his attacker but he got it back off him.
He added: "He was stunned that I fought back. At that point I turned round and saw my dad. I could tell I was losing him, he was dying.
"The guy was continuing to stab him even though there was not much of my dad left there."
Mr Williams said he ran out of the flat at that point and came across what he believed to be the 15-year-old female defendant outside with her hood up. He said: "I said 'what are you playing at, what's going on, why are you doing this' but she didn't respond."
He said he ran down the street and was losing a lot of blood and sought help from a nearby member of the public, who rang the emergency services.
Mr Williams said he left the flat after concluding there was nothing more he could do to help his dad. He added: "I could see the state of him and that it was too late for him so I decided to run." He went on to say: "If I didn't leave I probably would have died that night."
He added: "Their intention was to kill us, I could tell because their first strike was to our face. They were aiming for our necks." Mr Williams said he saw his dad take multiple stab wounds to his chest and he thinks he was also stabbed to the neck.
He said: "He didn't say much, my dad. He was just screaming in pain because it hurt, obviously. My dad was trying to defend himself with his arms but he just couldn't." He said the person who stabbed his dad continued attacking him even when he was clearly injured, adding: "He would just not stop."
Mr Williams said he was left with a wound to his hand which needed stitches, three wounds to his left arm, a wound to his back, one to his face which needed stitches and a gash to the top of his head.
Lopes, of Archer Street, Wallsend, and the 17-year-old and 15-year-old deny murder and attempted murder. The trial continues.
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