The partner of man accused of murdering his sister’s partner after a drink-fuelled Christmas Party told jurors how she tried to stem the flow of blood after his throat was slashed.

Simon Birch collapsed and died after Adam Jenkins allegedly attacked him with a knife when festivities turned sour.

Natalie Shaw said the pair had come to blows after simmering tension between Mr Birch and Jenkins’ sister, Emma, descended into drunken violence.

In her police interview recorded on December 27, Ms shaw said Mr Birch was raining down blows on his partner before she tried to step in and stop the attack.

Read next: WATCH: CCTV footage released of moments leading to fatal Christmas Day confrontation

Fighting back tears, she recounted how she locked Jenkins in the kitchen while Mr Birch was ushered out of the rear door after the pair had been fighting in front of invited guests at their Christmas Day dinner.

She said: “Birchy was going mental and that’s why I called 999 – we were all screaming. Adam couldn’t get in and he has gone round the back of the house.

“When I went outside, I just saw Birchy with his hand on his neck. I was saying ‘Birchy, just stay with us and the colour was just draining from his face and just fell to the floor.

“I was shouting ‘Adam we need an ambulance’.”

The Northern Echo: Simon BirchSimon Birch (Image: Northumbria Police)

Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court have watched CCTV footage of Mr Birch standing in the driveway with Jenkins running up to him and slashing him across the neck with a knife.

She added: “I didn’t see anything happen, I just went outside and saw his hand like that (she held her had to her neck).”

The police officer asked her if she had seen a knife, she replied: “No, that was why I was asking what’s happened, what’s happened’.”

Under questioning from Mr Jenkins' barrister Jeremy Dein KC, Ms Shaw said there had been domestic violence issues between the couple during their relationship with Mr Birch attacking Ms Jenkins on multiple occasions.

Ms Shaw said she was "scared" of Mr Birch as he was "unpredictable".

Earlier in the trial, Earlier in the trial jurors watched harrowing footage of the final confrontation between Jenkins and Mr Birch.

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Francis Fitzgibbon KC, prosecuting, said the footage shows the defendant as the aggressor and it was 'planned and premeditated' as the jury watched the moment his throat was slashed.

The Northern Echo: Caught on CCTV, the moments leading up to the fatal confrontation between Adam Jenkins and Simon BirchCaught on CCTV, the moments leading up to the fatal confrontation between Adam Jenkins and Simon Birch (Image: Crown Prosecution Service North East)

He adds it was 'unjustified' as he didn't need to defend himself as there was no threat to him or anyone else from Mr Birch.

Jenkins, 36, of Sunderland Road, Newbottle, denies murdering 39-year-old Mr Birch on the evening of December 25, 2021. He also denies the charge of manslaughter.

The murder trial, which is expected to last three weeks, continues.