A MAN was stabbed to death in his home over a £1,000 drug debt, a jury was told.

Preston Crown Court heard Michael Keen was knifed 15 times during the ‘frenzied, violent and vengeful’ attack in the Darwen house he shared with partner Anne-Marie West.

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Ms West was also stabbed in the back as she tried to flee 18-year-old attacker Daniel Bamford, the court was told.

Prosecutor Francis McEntee said the attack took place on August 25 three days after the defendant had been ‘installed’ in the house in Hazel Avenue.

He was sent to collect the money Mr Keen owed to a Merseyside drugs gang Bamford was allegedly a part of.

The court heard the gang had been operating in Darwen for a number of months and Mr Keen, 42, had originally racked up a heroin debt of between £400 and £500.

Mr McEntee told the court at the start of August the leader of the drugs gang, a man referred to only as ‘Brian’, had given Mr Keen the option of paying off his debt by dealing crack cocaine and heroin from his home.

But after taking up the offer, Mr Keen and other associates had used the drugs themselves and the debt had increased to £1,000, the jury heard.

Mr McEntee said on August 22 the victim had ammonia thrown in his face, in an unrelated attack, by a man not connected to the drugs gang.

The court heard the same day, Bamford arrived at the house and allegedly surrounded himself with a series of weapons.

Ms West, 42, told police they included knives, a sword, an axe and a hammer with a claw on it.

The prosecution alleged it is at that point Bamford took over the dealing operation and told Mr Keen to go around the estate giving out his phone number to anyone who wanted drugs.

On August 24 it is alleged Bamford asked one of Mr Keen’s associates if he knew anywhere in Darwen they could deal drugs from as the victim’s house had become ‘unsuitable’.

On the day of Mr Keen’s death, the court heard Bamford had made a phone call to his ‘boss’ and it had been decided the debt was to be paid immediately and his associates were coming around to the house to collect it.

Mr McEntee said: “The impending arrival of the drugs gang had put Mr Keen into a panic.

“He decided that the only way to protect himself and Anne-Marie West was to get the defendant out of the house, to lock up and call the police if necessary.”

The court heard that around 2pm Mr Keen and Ms West had been upstairs in a bedroom when they decided to go downstairs with a metal bar and confront Bamford, who was asleep in a chair.

The prosecution said Ms West had initially told police the day after her partner’s death that she had only heard her partner hit the defendant with the metal bar and warn him he would suffer further violence if he did not leave immediately.

She also claimed Bamford had pulled a knife from his back pocket and used it to attack Mr Keen.

But in a second interview, the court heard she admitted she had brought the knife downstairs and held it to Bamford’s throat as she was worried for her partner’s safety as he was ‘timid’ and ‘would not hurt a fly’.

The prosecution claim at that point Bamford stood up and instead of going towards the door headed towards a back room and grabbed Ms West’s wrist with his hand and used the other to grab the knife.

Mr McEntee said: “The next thing she knew Mick was on the couch, Daniel was leaning over him stabbing him with the knife.

“Ms West thought the best thing to do was to run and get help.

“She was delayed as she struggled to open the door.

“She was aware that she had been stabbed in the back and realised that she must have been stabbed in the arm as she reached for the chain.”

The court heard Ms West managed to get out of the house and shouted for a neighbour to help, adding: “He’s stabbing us to death.”

As she ran back into the house to help her partner, the court was told Mr Keen left through another door.

The court heard he suffered 15 stab wounds, including 10 to the back, before collapsing in the front garden.

Mr McEntee said according to a Home Office pathologist three of the stab wounds to his back must have been done with ‘severe force’.

Ms West was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital for treatment.

The court heard having run from the scene, Bamford of Harvey Lane, Golborne was arrested on August 26.

In an initial police interview he claimed he had been staying at the house to ensure Mr Keen paid off the debt but didn’t threaten him with violence.

He said he awoke to find Mr Keen and Ms West standing over him with weapons demanding money and cocaine.

The court heard Bamford claimed he was hit with the bar four or five times before he grabbed the knife from Ms West.

He said she ran off and Mr Keen was blocking his way so he ran at him and stabbed him before he could hit him again.

Mr McEntee said: “He claimed that Mr Keen had grabbed him, so he kept stabbing him until he let go, at which point he ran off.”

The court heard Bamford had injuries to his ear, face, arm and elbow which he said were as a result of the attack by Mr Keen.

He denied attacking Ms West and claimed her injuries were self-inflicted.

Bamford denies murder and wounding with intent. He has pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply and supplying cocaine and heroin.

Two other men have pleased guilty to assisting an offender in relation to Bamford’s escape.

They are Paul Swift, 44, of Hinckley Road, St. Helens, and an 18-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons. They have been remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.

Bamford’s trial continues.