Murder accused admits stabbing

A murder suspect this afternoon admitted stabbing a man in the arm as violence flared outside a wedding reception in Bilston.

Ricky Shaw described "trying to scare" Stephen Howell by chasing him with a knife, before stabbing him in the arm.

But he told a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court that he then gave away the knife to another man and insisted he was not responsible for the stabbing of Talvinder Singh or Tom

Berry, the 34-year-old father-of-two who later died in hospital from his wounds.

Tragedy struck as a crowd outside the Spread Eagle pub clashed with guests from a wedding reception held at the town hall on the opposite side of Lichfield Street in the centre of Bilston on July 10 last year.

Shaw, 22, told the court he went to the pub after being told a group of girls were being attacked.

The jury heard Shaw then spotted his stepbrother, Adam, involved in an altercation with Mr Howell.

Shaw told the court: "I could see Stephen had something in his hand, a glass bottle or something, so I ran over." Shaw claimed he was then glassed in the face by Mr Howell and gave chase. The court heard someone threw a knife towards Shaw and said "catch this".

When asked what his intentions were Shaw replied: "To scare him with the knife." Shaw said Mr Howell fell over and he landed on top of him. Shaw said: "He glassed me, I chased him to scare him, I fell on top of him and as I got up he got up in the press-up position and tried to hit me."

When asked what happened next Shaw replied: "I stabbed him."

The court has previously heard Mr Howell suffered head and neck injuries, but Shaw told a jury today he did not recall stabbing him in the neck. He said as he was running off he passed the knife to a man standing next to a post box.

Shaw, of no fixed address, denies murdering Mr Berry, attempting to murder Mr Howell and Mr Singh, and assaulting Adam Shaw.

The trial continues.