A man collapsed bleeding in his friend’s doorway after he was repeatedly knifed in the back and chest.

Kai Orgles, 19, is accused of stabbing Syden Pearson with a kitchen knife during a late-night row in Worthing.

A court was told that Orgles hurled racist abuse at the 26-year-old before sprinting at him and plunging the knife into his chest.

Witnesses told the jury said that even when Mr Pearson was lying bleeding on the floor, Orgles continued to rain blows down on his head.

At Lewes Crown Court Orgles, of Moore Close, Durrington, Worthing, denies murder.

The court was told violence flared just before 11pm on the night of January 30 in Shelby Road.

Anthony Evans QC, prosecuting, said that the two men had both been out drinking that night with friends when the two groups met up at Tesco.

They all walked to Shelby Road, where Mr Pearson and his friends had been drinking earlier at the home of his friend Susan Ellis.

When Orgles and his two friends arrived Mrs Ellis asked them to leave and a row started.

Mr Evans said: "It was after this the incident kicked off."

He said Orgles lunged at the woman, grabbing her by the arm and lashing out towards her face, scratching her cheek.

She threatened to hit him with her bird bath.

Mr Evans said witnesses had described how Orgles and his friends had moved away before the teen ran back and launched a frenzied attack.

He said: "Mrs Ellis then saw the defendant sprint back towards Syden Pearson. He ran about 25 yards and to her eyes appeared to punch Syden in the stomach with a clenched fist.

"As a result of this attack Syden staggered back and fell into the road. The defendant fell on to him and continued to hit him around the head.

"Orgles got to his feet and ran back to his friends and out of sight."

Mr Pearson, who was staying with friends in Shelby Road when he died, managed to stagger to Mrs Ellis's front doorway where he collapsed, bleeding heavily.

When paramedics arrived they found no sign of life but he was taken to Worthing Hospital where attempts were made to resuscitate him.

Orgles was arrested later outside his home. There was blood on his hands and trousers. Police never found the knife.

The teenager told officers he must have accidentally stabbed Mr Pearson as he had tried to help a 16-year-old friend who was being attacked by the older man.

He said Mr Pearson bit his thumb hard and punched him in the stomach.

He said he was carrying a kitchen knife for his own protection because two weeks earlier he had been stabbed by two men in the street.

Orgles said Mr Pearson must have been fatally hurt by accident when he was defending himself or he may have fallen on the knife during the scuffle.

Orgles, who was described as being of low average intelligence, told police: "I didn't mean to kill him. I am completely devastated by his death."

Mr Evans told the jury: "The Crown's case is the defendant did not kill Syden Pearson accidentally or in self-defence but intended to kill him or cause him very serious injury."

The trial continues.