'I was scared': Knifeman accused of Merry Hill murder tells jury of the moment he stabbed teenager

Mpho Obi, 22, took the stand on Tuesday in a dark blue suit and white shirt, and denied he was a murderer despite admitting he stabbed 16-year-old Terrell in a notorious drugs den.

Omari Lauder, 23, of Walsall, and co-defendant Obi are accused of entering the flat in Warnford Walk in the Merry Hill area of the city at about 4.30pm on September 18 last year and murdering their victim with knives within minutes.

Lauder previously said on the stand that Terrell attacked him in the bathroom and that his friend Obi had saved him from being stabbed to death himself.

Obi told the jury: "I did not want to go to the flat, I wanted to go to Birmingham. But the taxi was sent there."

Inside the flat, Obi said he saw Terrell attacking Lauder.

"He had a knife. I saw my friend being attacked. He was being stabbed. I wanted to stop him being attacked. I was scared because he [Terrell] had a knife.

"I was stressed. But I had to stop my friend getting attacked. He was swinging it at my friend's face, and then stabbed him in the leg. I did not know what to do. But I had to do something.

"I stabbed him from behind, he was attacking my friend. The moment it all stopped, I did not touch him again. I did not attack him again. I just wanted Omari to get up. And then we got out the flat."

The emergency services were called by witnesses and the pair left the scene having been in the flat less than five minutes. Terrell bled to death shortly afterwards.

Knives with both Obi's and Lauder's DNA were found near the flat by police shortly afterwards, both were arrested on the same day when Lauder went to hospital for his injuries.

The prosecution case is that Terrell died after being stabbed eight times in a "moment of extreme violence" at their hands. Lauder, of Darlaston, and Obi, of Strathfield Walk also in Merry Hill, in Wolverhampton both deny murder.

The trial continues.