A ‘FOOLISH playground squabble’ led to a 17-year-old youth being murdered by a frenzied knife attack at a house in Haslingden, it has been claimed.

Declan Eastwood punched a man called Sean Fell – and the older male allegedly went on to take a knife from a drawer and inflict 12 wounds – any one of about four which could have been fatal.

Both had been visitors at a house in Princess Street in August, 2011.

Fell, 25, of George Street, Haslingden, has gone on trial at Preston Crown Court where he denies a charge of murdering the teenager.

Earlier that night, Mr Eastwood was blaming him for allegedly being party to his wallet having been taken around a couple of weeks earlier.

The teenager punched Fell to the face.

Fell is alleged to have gone on to take a knife from a drawer and then repeatedly stabbed Mr Eastwood, causing the knife to become bent.

The jury in the trial have been told there are four issues to be raised by the defence. One is that Fell had acted in reasonable self defence. It is also claimed that Fell had no intention to kill or do really serious bodily harm and that he had an abnormal mental function.

Mr Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said the incident happened at the home of a family called West. Mr Eastwood went there in the afternoon and alcohol was drunk. Towards the end of that night he left, apparently to go to a party.

Mr Eastwood later returned at around 3am. The squabble with Fell then took place.

Fell went upstairs to get away from him. When back down-stairs, the prosecution claim that he removed a knife from a kitchen drawer, his DNA later being found on the drawer handle.

The defendant claimed that the teenager had had the knife in his hand.

Mr Lamberty alleged that Fell brandished the knife, saying ‘come on then’ and then went on to stab Mr Eastwood. There were knife wounds to the top of the head, the chest and one through the heart, as well as other injuries. He died almost instantly.