AN IRAQI asylum seeker plunged a kitchen knife into the head and heart of a fellow countryman after attacking him in a Blackburn street, a jury was told.

Mokhler Mostafa's left lung was also punctured as Samsuddin Farhan Hamad, 20, buried the weapon up to nine centimetres inside the victim's body, Preston Crown Court heard.

But Hamad, who had proceedings relayed to him through a Kurdish interpreter, has pleaded not guilty to murder and claims two white men killed his friend in Infirmary Street before running off.

Mr Mostafa died in Blackburn Royal Infirmary on January 20 this year - the day before his 26th birthday. He had five stab wounds, three in the chest and two in the head.

The court heard that Mr Mostafa arrived at Dover on September 10, 2001. He was later refused refugee status but given exceptional leave to remain.

He was sent to Great Yarmouth, where he met Hamad, also an Iraqi Kurd, who had been in England since December 22, 2001.

Mr Mostafa went to Warrington seeking work about a week before his death. On January 19, he told friends he was going to Blackburn to visit Hamad, the court heard.

The two friends were caught on CCTV buying eight cans of Stella Artois lager and two bottles of Budweiser from a Moseley Street off-licence at about 6.15pm.

Mr Mostafa made several phone calls to his friends, the last being at 10.53pm. The jury was told he was either "normal" or "laughing and joking."

But Mr Aubrey said residents on the streets heard shouting and arguing inside and out of the Infirmary Street house.

At about 11.45pm, Mr Mostafa's next door neighbour Kenneth Jackson was walking back from his niece's home in Moseley Street to take her some bread and butter from his house.

He told the court that he saw the two asylum seekers in the road, with Hamad trying to lift Mr Mostafa up. Mr Jackson said he ignored them and went straight into his house, as he thought they were drunk.

But when he returned he spotted the kitchen knife in the road. Mr Jackson added: "I said to my neighbour: 'Is this your knife?' and he said" 'That knife is mine'.

"Then he stood up and the other man slumped over. I had my foot on the knife and kicked it over to my neighbour. I know it seems a silly thing to do in hindsight, but I didn't know anyone had been stabbed.

"Then he said four white guys had stabbed his mate. I looked over and saw something dark on the other man's chest and face, which I presume was blood.

"I asked my neighbour if I should call an ambulance and he said I should.

David Aubrey QC, prosecuting, told the court that the two men were a figment of Hamad's imagination. He said Hamad told police: "This man was my brother, like a normal brother and there was no conflict between us.

"God will not allay if you accept this man was murdered with my hand. I still insist that this man was murdered by two Englishmen and I saw it with my eyes."

But Mr AUbrey added: "His account has no foundation in fact. It was the defendant who murdered his friend. We are unable to say what the motive was, but there was conflict between the two of them that night."

Jack Price QC, defending, queried the accuracy of Mr Jackson's recollections against earlier statements he had made to police.

(Proceeding)