A PASSENGER on the London tube grappled with a man as he stabbed a woman to death in front of horrified commuters, a court heard yesterday.

The North-East born passenger was badly wounded as he tussled with Albanian Vaso Aliu on the platform of Euston station, the Old Bailey heard.

Christopher Keily said he did not even realise he had been stabbed until he was chatting on his phone more than five minutes later.

The court has heard that the besotted Albanian knifed his ex-girlfriend Marquerite van Campenhout after she finished with him.

Mr Kiely, from Middlesbrough, told the court how he heard two very loud screams as his train pulled into the station in January this year.

He said: "I saw a young girl sitting on a seat and a man beside her, hitting her.

"As it was happening, the train doors opened and I ran at him and threw myself on him and whacked him into the wall. There was a bit of a tussle and then we sort of broke away from each other.

"We sort of looked at each other and then I looked down at his leg and I saw a carving knife in his left hand.

"There was noise everywhere - screaming. The attacker had disappeared.

"I looked round and could see her on the floor and people beginning to crowd around her. I could see blood everywhere."

Mr Kiely told the jury that he made his way up an escalator and saw Aliu in the ticket hall put the knife to his chest and slam into a wall in an attempt to stab himself.

Mr Kiely was tended by police and paramedics. He was taken to hospital and released the following day.

Aliu, of Finchley Road, denies murdering Miss van Campenhout and the attempted murder of Mr Kiely.

He also denies wounding Mr Kiely with intent.

The court has heard he has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The case continues.