A murder trial took a dramatic twist today as a man accused of knifing another through the heart sacked his legal team.

Dumitru Palazu, 48, is alleged to have murdered Alexandru Constaninescu during a clash at the Brotherhood Wood caravan park in Dunkirk, near Faversham.

But in the middle of his trial at Maidstone Crown Court, his defence barrister, Edmund Burge QC, told the jury that Palazu had dismissed his team of lawyers.

The senior barrister said: "This morning Mr Palazu has informed us he no longer wishes to be represented by his legal team and in those circumstances our involvement has come to an end."

Trial judge Adele Williams told the jury: "I am very dismayed to hear that because the defendant is on the gravest possible charge and needs some assistance."

Palazu is alleged to have stabbed 30-year-old Mr Constantinescu on April 7 this year.

The incident was caught on CCTV, with Palazu alleged to have run towards his victim shouting: “Move aside, I swear on my family’s life, I’m going to cut that one up.”

Prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC claimed that after trading blows, Mr Constantinescu was stabbed under the arm by Palazu as he raised it to throw another punch.

The court heard how the two men were both living on the caravan site, which was populated in-part by Romanians from Calarasi and Craiova.

A new legal team is expected to be appointed tomorrowwhen the trial will continue to hear evidence from witnesses in Romania.

The jury earlier heard how Palazu has two convictions for killing people in his native country.

Read more: All the latest news from Faversham

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.

For information on how we can report court proceedings, click here.