A friend of stabbing victim Tomasz Oleszak denied they were planning to attack the youth accused of the killing, prior to the fatal blow being inflicted, a court heard today (Thursday March 23).

The teenager said Tomasz (‘Tom’), who had been with other friends earlier, joined the group of approximately ten young people in Whitehills Nature Park, Gateshead, at about 8pm on the night of the incident, on Monday October 3, last year.

In his recorded police interview, played to the jury yesterday (Wednesday March 22), on the opening day of the trial of the teenager accused of Tomasz’s murder, the witness described how they approached the youth, who was walking with his girlfriend in the park, as he had uttered a comment in their direction.

He said Tomasz asked what he had said and the youth then turned and landed a blow to his chest, before delivering a similar thrust towards him.

Read more: Boy, 14, on trial for murder shouted ‘I’m gonna wet you’, court told

The witness, who said in the darkness of the park he was unaware the youth was holding a knife at that point, managed to jump backwards to avoid being struck.

As they turned and ran, he said Tomasz held his hand to his chest and told him he had been stabbed.

The witness said he touched Tomasz’s hand and felt blood.

As they fled, Tomasz fell, and so he ran to the nearest house to summon help.

The court heard that despite medical attention at the scene and later in hospital, 14-year-old Tomasz was pronounced dead from the stab injury the following morning.

In cross-examination, the witness was asked by defence counsel Peter Makepeace KC if they were running in the direction of the accused and his girlfriend just prior to the stabbing, as was seen on CCTV footage from the area.

He said some of the group was walking and others were running before entering the park.

Mr Makepeace then put it to him that at that stage they were planning to attack the youth, whose girlfriend previously went out with one of their group.

The witness denied it as he said if they were going to hit him they could have done so earlier, when he had walked past them with his girlfriend.

Read more: Tomasz Oleszak murder trial: Teenager accused of Gateshead killing

He told Mr Makepeace: “If we were going to hit him we would have hit him then, rather than follow him all over.”

Mr Makepeace put it to the witness that they waited until the youth was in the park, in darkness, away from houses and street lights, before they were going to attack him.

“You and your friends waited until he (the defendant) was in a vulnerable place, most in danger, before you attacked.”

But the witness repeated that if they were going to hit him they could have done it earlier.

“If we were going to hit him we wouldn’t walk past CCTV cameras.

“He (the defendant) spoke to us, then Tom came and then that (the stabbing) happened.”

Mr Makepeace said from available CCTV footage, from Aycliffe Crescent, near to the park entrance, there appeared to be no sign of the defendant shouting or making gestures to them as he walked with his girlfriend.

But he said to the witness that it appeared that he and his friends were following the couple.

He asked why some of them appeared to be running, the witness said it was to catch up with others in the group.

“Everyone was just following each other”

Asked by Mr Makepeace why the person at the front of their group appeared to be running, the witness said he did not know.

Mr Makepeace replied: “I’m afraid you do know. This was a plan to attack him.”

But the witness said: “If we were going to attack him we had many other chances to attack him.”

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The court heard the defendant, then 14, now aged 15, admits using the knife in self-defence and denies charges of the murder of Tomasz and attempted wounding with intent of the witness.

But he has admitted unlawful possession of the knife, in public.

The trial continues tomorrow (Friday March 24).