Witness gives evidence over Tomasz Oleszak stabbing in Gateshead park

A young witness at the scene of the incident on a pathway at Whitehills Nature Park, in Gateshead, on the evening of Monday, October 3, last year, said he was a few metres behind the victim, Tomasz Oleszak, and another friend, as they approached the defendant, also 14 at the time, who was with his girlfriend.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that in his police interview, the following day, the witness said: “There must have been some sort of argument”, between Tomasz (‘Tom’), his friend and, “the suspect”.

The witness told police: “I turned back to see what they were talking about, because I heard the suspect shout: ‘I’m going to wet you’.”

Read more: Youth denies alleged killer of Tomasz Oleszak was followed into park

He explained it was slang for: “I’m going to stab you.”

“When I turned around I saw him (the accused) pull the knife out of Tom.”

The witness said the defendant also, “tried to do” the other teenager standing alongside Tomasz, adding: “It could have been both of them.”

He said: “It looked like it went in quick and came out quick and I thought it was probably a kitchen knife.”

The witness said Tomasz’s friend shouted: “Run, Tom’s been stabbed”, and everyone began to flee from the scene, including the victim.

“Tom started to run and then he hit the floor, like a sack of taties. He was bleeding heavily.”

The witness said he did not hear Tomasz say anything, but he was “groaning”.

He said that he and other friends ran to a nearby house to ask someone to ring 999, and a woman from the premises came out with a towel to try to put pressure on the wound.

The witness said an ambulance then arrived and paramedics took over the care of Tomasz until he was later taken to hospital.

Asked what the defendant and his girlfriend did immediately after the stabbing, the witness said: “They legged it, because they had stabbed Tom.”

The witness said an off-road motorbike then pulled up further along the pathway, known as ‘The Lines’, and the defendant got on the machine and was driven away, but he was unaware who the rider was or where they went.

He said he did not know who the attacker was, but he had seen him a few days earlier.

The witness said he knew the “suspect’s” girlfriend as she had previously gone out with one of his other friends.

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

It was later that he received a message from his brother naming the attacker, who had been spotted on Facebook, and when he looked at the profile image he recognised him straight away.

In cross-examination by defence counsel Peter Makepeace, the witness said immediately after the stabbing he heard the attacker saying to the others: “Run, I have just wetted up your boy.”

Mr Makepeace pointed out that the witness had never previously mentioned the latter phrase having been used by the defendant.

Asked if he had spoken about the incident with friends, he said ‘yes’, but he could not remember if someone had mentioned what the defendant had said immediately after the stabbing.

Earlier in the hearing the jury was told Tomasz’s death from the single stab wound to the chest was confirmed in hospital early the following day.

Read next:

               Friend at scene of Gateshead killing of Tomasz Oleszak gives evidence

               Boy, 15, to stand trial in March over Gateshead death of Tomasz

               Tomasz Oleszak murder: Youth to enter plea after Gateshead death

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The defendant, now aged 15, admits inflicting the fatal wound but claims it was in self-defence when he came under attack from Tomasz and his friends.

He denies Tomasz’s murder and attempting to caused grievous bodily harm to the teenager standing alongside him, at the scene, but he has admitted unlawful possession of a knife in public.

The trial continues on Monday (March 27).