A mechanic told a murder jury today how he tried to stem blood coming from a dying colleague using his T-shirt.

Stefan Barlow had been driving into a Tunbridge Wells refuse depot at 6am in March when he saw the deadly attack.

He told Canterbury Crown Court how he witnessed David Squelch appearing to punch another colleague, James Wallington in the depot.

“James was walking towards me and Dave was behind him. I thought he was punching him. It was punching with intent.

“It was over the top and a bit bizarre.

“I pulled up the handbrake and jumped out of my van to break it up. James was cowering and I told Dave: ‘**** off and leave him alone.’," he added.

Moments later he discovered blood coming from Mr Wallington’s body and he called 999.

Squelch, 48, of Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood has admitted carrying out the killing using a hunting knife but denies murder. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Mr Barlow told how he found Mr Wallington on the ground with his eyes flickering.

“I told him: ‘Come on James, you will be alright’...that’s when I saw blood coming out of his fleece.

“I was speaking to a paramedic on the phone and she told me I had to block the wounds.

“I pulled off my T-shirt and tried covering his wound while carrying out CPR, which was difficult to do while holding the phone.”

The prosecution told the jury how Mr Wallington, 44, of Somerset Road, Tunbridge Wells received 17 wounds and died less than an hour later.

Pathologist Dr Benjamin Swift said some of the stabbings with the Bear Grylls hunting knife had been delivered with such "severe force” they had gone through bones.

Mr Barlow said Squelch and Mr Wallington had worked on the same refuse lorry at Cory Environmental Ltd recycling centre in North Farm Lane in Tunbridge Wells.

“The two got on well but they had their moments together and had their arguments," he added.

He said that although he hadn’t witnessed an spats between the two men, he had seen Mr Wallington sporting a black eye some months earlier.

The trial continues.

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