A Margate woman accused of stabbing her lover to death hid the bloodied knife before trying to pass it to a neighbour, it has been alleged.

Sarah Ripley, 21, denied murdering junkie partner James Heddington during a fight at their home in September last

But a jury at Canterbury Crown Court heard how neighbours near the flat in Fort Crescent heard people arguing followed by a "very large bang".

As paramedics were treating the injured man, Ripley is alleged to have returned to her flat and retrieved a knife from underneath a rug.

Neighbour Douglas McCullum told the court today: "She then handed it to me. Then she said: 'What do I do? What do I do?'. I told her to wash it."

Prosecutor OIiver Saxby QC claimed another neighbour Pat Ward had gone outside after hearing a noise.

"There she saw Mr Heddington lying on the floor outside her door. He was moaning. She asked Ripley what the noise was about and she replied: 'He's been stabbed'.

"According to Ms Ward, she seemed calm but she noticed she was unsteady on her feet. She then stumbled as she pulled a child's buggy out of the way. And thinking Ripley was drunk, Ms Ward retreated back into her flat."

Ripley - who was pregnant expecting twins at the time – is alleged to have stabbed the 29-year-old drug addict with a knife.

Mr Saxby told how two other neighbours Vanessa Quashie and Mr McCullum were alerted by Ripley trying to get their attention by throwing something at their window.

"Ripley was hysterical and asking for help. Mr McCullum saw Mr Heddington lying on the ground, obviously in a bad way.

"she asked him what she should do and thinking that she had stabbed mr heddington with it, he told her to wash it, which she did..." – oliver saxby qc

"Ripley was crying. She was holding something to his stomach. And when this was moved he could see that Mr Heddington had a stab wound to the stomach."

He said that when paramedics arrived, the couple went upstairs to Ripley's flat.

The prosecutor added: "They were alone. As soon as she entered, Ripley went straight over to the rug in the sitting room, bent down, pulled it back and retrieved a kitchen-type knife from under it.

“Mr McCullum could see there was blood on it, he thought, on the handle and blade. She was holding the blade and offered him the handle. But he was scared and didn't want to touch it.

"She asked him what she should do and thinking that she had stabbed Mr Heddington with it, he told her to wash it, which she did, wiping it with a cloth and leaving it in the sink with some dirty dishes.

"At one point, Mr McCulum asked her why she had done it, why she had stabbed Mr Heddington and she replied that they had been fighting, that he had been hitting her," alleged the prosecutor.

The trial continues.