Man stabbed five times, court hears
A 21-year-old from Tettenhall repeatedly stabbed another young man who appeared to be getting the better of his cousin in a fight, a jury heard.
Liam Phipps denies the attempted murder of Shaun Bayliss outside the Wrottesley Arms in Perton on May 24.
Stafford Crown Court heard how trouble had started at the nearby Pear and Partridge, where Kamal Lodge punched three men after taking offence at an innocent comment from one of them.
Joey Padley, who was among those hit, went to the Wrottesley Arms where he told his friends what had happened and they phoned Lodge to complain about his behaviour, explained Mr Jonathan Dunne, prosecuting
But by this time he was visiting a flat in the area with his cousin, Liam Phipps and 'was less than pleased that Joey had snitched on him for punching him', maintained Mr Dunne.
The lawyer continued: "He promptly goes off in to the kitchen and arms himself with a kitchen knife. He and Phipps then leave and go to the Wrottesley to have it out with the group of lads on the car park.
"Lodge has admitted affray. He waved the knife around and was aggressive with it."
He then knocked out one of the other group who had confronted him, prompting Shaun Bayliss to go to the rescue of the injured, it was alleged.
Mr Dunne explained to the jury: "Mr Bayliss will tell you he went over to attack Lodge, to stop him from further attacking the knocked-out man. It is at this point, and it looks like Shaun Bayliss is getting the better of Lodge that Liam Phipps runs over and Shaun Bayliss thinks, punches him twice in the back. We now know they were actually stabs.
"The issue is whether it was Lodge or Phipps who did the stabbing and, if it was Phipps, what was in his mind when he did it.The prosecution are not able to tell you whether the knife used was the knife Lodge had taken to the scene or whether it was a different knife since no knife connected to this case has been found."
Mr Bayliss was stabbed five times with wounds in both his back and chest, the court heard. Phipps from Tettenhal,l but of no fixed address, denies attempted murder and an alternative charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The trial continues.
