A SAVAGE knife attack by a gang of teenagers acting ‘like a pack of lions’ resulted in the murder of a young man as he left a funfair with his girlfriend, a court heard.

A trial at Newcastle Crown Court heard Jack Woodley was fatally stabbed by a 15-year-old boy with a ten inch ‘Rambo-style’ knife as he left the Houghton Feast.

The court heard ten teenagers, aged 14 to 18, had gone out “looking for any excuse to attack someone” and happened to cross paths with the 18-year-old from Newton Aycliffe.

A jury was told Jack was punched, kicked, stamped on and stabbed during a chaotic violent attack after he was chased by the gang near the Britannia Inn in Houghton-le-Spring on October 16 last year.

The Northern Echo: The incident happened in an alley near the pub The incident happened in an alley near the pub

One of the teenagers has already pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting that he stabbed Mr Woodley but denying that he intended to kill him.

The other nine defendants, who were all aged between 14 and 17 at the time of the attack and cannot be named for legal reasons, deny both charges of murder and manslaughter.

Prosecutor Mark McKone QC told the court one of the defendants first attacked Mr Woodley, and the others “joined in”.

He said one of them was heard shouting “get the chopper” – referring to the knife – in mobile phone footage of the incident.

The court heard one of the defendants was “armed with a very dangerous knife”, while another admitted taking a knuckle duster out that night, but denied hitting Jack with it.

Mr McKone said: “The prosecution say, based on the available evidence, that the defendants went out looking for serious trouble that day.”

The Northern Echo: Mark McKone QCMark McKone QC

He said the defendants “surrounded and isolated Jack”, covering their heads as they prepared to attack him.

He told jurors Mr Woodley was outnumbered as the group “not only attacked him but prevented him from escaping and other people from helping him”.

The court heard Mr Woodley died the next day, after “valiant attempts at the scene and in hospital” to save his life.

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Jurors were told one female witness had gone to the first defendant’s house earlier that day, where he had showed her “a machete style knife” and told her he had previously stabbed two people with it.

Mr McKone said the witness met up with him again an hour later, and four of his male friends, who talked about him “being in a gang” and “discussed how they were going to find someone tonight at the feast”.

She told police the group had “seemed quite excited”.

Mr McKone told the court: “This supports the prosecution’s case that this attack was planned and the stabbing was planned, albeit they had no particular victim in mind at this stage.”

Jurors were told another female witness had kissed another of the defendants at the festival, and was hit by a friend of his ex girlfriend.

Mr McKone said when Mr Woodley, who did not know any of the defendants, asked one of them if he knew why the young woman had been hit, the defendant asked Mr Woodley “if he was starting”.

Mr McKone said: “This seems to be one of the trivial reasons for the group attack.

“The group had been looking for any reason or excuse to attack someone.”

Jack's friend told police she was with him at the funfair when a “big group of lads came over saying Jack had said he was going to punch one of them”.

Mr McKone said: “This was the group trying to create conflict with Jack so they could attack him.”

The Northern Echo: The trial is at Newcastle Crown Court The trial is at Newcastle Crown Court (Image: Contributor)

He told jurors Mr Woodley left the festival but the group followed him, with one suggesting they should have a “one-on-one fight”.

When Mr Woodley said he did not want to fight, one of the group patted him down to see if he had a knife before appearing to let him go, the court heard.

Several witnesses described the gang then putting their hoods up and “circling Jack from behind”.

Mr McKone said Mr Woodley’s friend told police: “The whole group swarmed round Jack instantly.”

Jurors were told one of the defendants put Mr Woodley in a headlock and punched him, before the others joined him.

Mr Woodley’s friend said in his evidence to police that, during the attack, “Jack got on the floor so he could curl up into a ball. He was so scared.

“Everyone in the group was just kicking the life out of Jack.”

The trial continues.

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