A trumatised neighbour who discovered his best friend bleeding to death following a brutal knife attack told a court he relives the event “every night and day”.
Marc Davis told how, after going to investigate noises next door, he saw two men running from 39-year-old Jeffery Burrows’ Brighton flat.
He found his friend sprawled on the floor, inside the Norfolk Square property, with a kitchen stool over his neck and Mr Burrow’s beloved Jack Russell, Winston, by his side.
He told Lewes Crown Court that his friend of 15 years had moved from his native Northern Ireland in 1997 to “escape the troubles”.
He had married his terminally ill girlfriend in January this year but she tragically died the following day.
The court previously heard the victim had been taking drugs in the period leading up to his death and that there had been a feud with dealers.
Hammer Under cross examination, Mr Davis revealed that in the weeks prior to his death on April 29 this year, Mr Burrows had spoken about selling a scooter and about problems with “scousers”.
He said that towards the middle of April he had heard “scouse accents” in Mr Burrows’ flat and what sounded like a fight. When he approached his friend about the incident, Mr Burrows responded that he had “done them”.
But Mr Davis told the court he thought he was lying because he was a “proud man”.
Plea for help
On April 13, he was again alerted to the feud after receiving a text from his neighbour. It read: “If you hear trouble from my place tonight I need you to come out with a hammer to help me please mate.”
Mr Davis told how, on April 29, he was on the phone when he heard shouting.
Concerned, he opened his flat door to see two men running from the victim’s flat and down the communal stairwell.
He went in to find Mr Burrows groaning and trying to haul himself up.
Mr Davis placed a jacket over his friend to keep him warm and called the emergency services. Mr Burrows died shortly after.
Under cross examination Mr Davis said: “I dream about it every night and day, I know what I heard and what happened.”
The jury also heard from Brodie Dawson who was drinking in the nearby Robin Hood pub. He told how he saw two men running from the direction of the flat. He said he saw the pair “jump in the air and high-five”.
Joel Elliott, 22, of North Road, Brighton, and Adam White, 22, of Bedford Place, Liverpool, both deny murder.
The trial continues.
Killers' joy seen on CCTV after Brighton stabbing.
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