A teenager has claimed he must have caused the knife injury that led to the death of dad-of-two David Young and wounded another man in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

The 17-year-old youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said he struck out with a blade in his hand when confronted by Mr Young, his brother Aaron and two other men.

The teenager claimed he feared at the time for his life and that of his friend Stuart Porter, 18, who was on the ground being kicked.

Maidstone Crown Court has heard Mr Young, 28, his partner Kirsty Bryant, his brother and two friends had been walking home to Gillingham after celebrating New Year’s Eve at the Casino Rooms in Rochester.

They became involved in a fight in Windmill Road, Gillingham, which ended with Mr Young being stabbed in the left thigh.

He was taken to nearby Medway Hospital but the blade had severed an artery and he died on January 5.

Porter, of Buttermere Close, Gillingham, and the 17-year-old, also from Gillingham, deny murdering David Young and wounding his friend John-Paul Smith with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Porter will not be giving evidence, his QC Alan Kent has indicated.

“The blade ended up in my hoody pocket. It was not a deliberate act” - defendant, 17

The 17-year-old said he had been staying with a friend and intended to sleep at his mother’s home after going to New Year’s Eve parties.

He went with Porter to a party in Trafalgar Street, Gillingham, and then to another in Luton Road. During the evening he drank beer, cider, whisky and vodka.

The teenager said he also took two lines of cocaine and cannabis. Asked how affected he was by the drink and drugs on a scale of 1-10, he replied five.

It was while he was at the party in Trafalgar Street, he said, that he saw the blade and used it to cut up the drug. He added he had seen the blade there previously.

“The blade ended up in my hoody pocket,” he told the jury. “It was not a deliberate act.”

Mr Kent asked: “It is clear that the blade you had in your hand was responsible for causing the injury that caused the death of David Young?”

The teenager replied: “I believe so.”

The trial continues.