A man knifed a work colleague to death because he mentioned his dead mother, a jury has heard.

Victim James Wallington was stabbed 17 times with a Bear Grylls hunting knife just minutes after arriving for work at Cory Environmental Recycling Centre in Tunbridge Wells in March.

David Squelch, 48, has admitted carrying out the frenzied knife attack – but denies it was murder.

As the victim was fighting for his life Squelch, of Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood is alleged to have told a worker the attack happened after a discussion about his late mother; adding:
“She’s dead... now he’s dead!”

The last moments of Mr Wallington’s life were shown for the first time to the jury at Canterbury Crown Court this morning.

The dramatic footage was caught on the company’s CCTV near the entrance gates and the ferocious stabbing took place in front of other workers.

Prosecutor William Hughes warned the jury they might find the film distressing and members of Mr Wallington’s family then left the public gallery while it was shown twice, once in slow motion.

He said: “The prosecution case is that Mr Squelch murdered Mr Wallington shortly after 6 am on March 9.

“Mr Squelch accepts being responsible for the killing but does not accept his murder. He does accept his manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.”

The prosecutor said the two men had been work colleagues for two years and had arrived for work in Squelch’s car North Farm Lane just seven seconds before the stabbing.

“I just stabbed James. He kept on about my mother. She’s dead. I lost it" - David Squelch

As Mr Wallington is seen walking away from the car and towards the entrance Squelch, dressed in an orange jacket runs up to him.

“He is attacked from behind by Mr Squelch and appears to land at least three blows. Mr Wallington then fell to the floor because of this ferocious attack.

“During this intense episode of violence which lasted about 20 seconds, Mr Squelch lands 17 blows to his work colleague.

“Mr Wallington does little to defend himself and the reason is that Mr Squelch wasn’t punching but stabbing him with a serrated Bear Grylls hunting knife," he added.

The jury heard that as colleagues performed CPR paramedics and the air ambulance crew raced to the compound – but Mr Wallington died within 50 minutes.

Mr Hughes said Squelch - after throwing away the weapon in a bush – took a bottle of water from the boot of his car.

He then walked to the site office and told a boss: “I just stabbed James. He kept on about my mother. She’s dead. I lost it."

Mr Hughes alleged that colleagues recalled the two men falling out a year earlier over Squelch’s late mother in which he had punched Mr Wallington.

But the prosecutor said that despite that incident the two men had carried on working together until the attack and the previous day had been seen joking together.

Squelch, who had been shaking after the attack, later told his boss: “She’s dead and he’s dead.”

After being arrested he told police: “I stabbed him. I can’t fully explain my actions.”

The trial continues.