Teenager accused of dance floor murder said ‘I’ve stabbed someone’, court told
Charlie Cosser was fatally stabbed after a fight broke out at a party in a marquee, prosecutors say.
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A teenager accused of stabbing a 17-year-old boy to death at a party told friends he had “stabbed someone five or six times”, a court has heard.
The boy’s hands and trousers were “covered in blood” when he made the admission, his trial was told.
Charlie Cosser was fatally stabbed in the chest at the event called “BalFest” attended by around 100 people at a farmhouse in Warnham, West Sussex, on July 23 last year.
A teenager, who was 16 at the time, is on trial accused of his murder.
Prosecutors allege the fatal injuries took place when a fight broke out between the defendant, Charlie, and two other boys on the dance floor after the defendant and his friends were asked to leave the party.
A male partygoer, who was friends with the defendant, told the Brighton Crown Court they had travelled to the venue together by bus.
As the party went on, the defendant was “unsteady”, he told the court, having drunk an “excessive amount” of vodka.
He had also appeared “angry” after an older man had unsuccessfully “tried to kick him out” because of his apparent behaviour towards a young woman, he added.
The partygoer described hearing “arguing” and “shouting” inside the marquee before the defendant and others started fighting.
“I knew there was going to be a problem,” he said.
After leaving the marquee to avoid the fighting, the young man found the defendant next to the road with his hands and trousers “covered in blood”, he told the court.
“The top of his joggers down to his knees were almost like drenched,” he added.
Another friend who was with them asked the defendant “what the f*** have you done?” the court heard.
“(The defendant said) ‘I’ve stabbed someone five or six times’.
“He said it over and over again.”
A female party guest earlier told the court she saw the defendant “talking about a knife” with a friend after a third male’s arrival made them agitated.
She said that when the boy arrived in a car, the defendant and his friend “both seemed very shaken up, almost.
“They both seemed angry and nervous.
“(The defendant) turned to (his friend) and told (him) to get the shank.”
Video footage previously played to jurors showed revellers just before midnight dancing to the song Toxic by Britney Spears under disco lights in a marquee.
A fight is then visible in the background with punches being thrown and the recording shortly ends.
Charlie died in hospital two days after he was stabbed three times at Balmohano Farmhouse.
He was still conscious when police arrived at 12.30am and was able to tell them his name, address and date of birth, prosecutors have said.
He suffered a cardiac arrest on the way to hospital, with internal bleeding caused by a cut to his aorta, the main artery from the heart.
The teenager, from Milford, Surrey, died on July 25.
The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age, denies murdering Charlie and having a bladed article or point.
The trial continues.