A man accused of killing his girlfriend’s ex-partner was drinking in the same bar minutes before the fatal stabbing, a jury was told Michael Bishop, 26, is on trial at Lewes Crown Court accused of murdering Stuart Slade, 35, who was stabbed to death in a Brighton street in the early hours of December 30 2008.

Mr Slade, who lived at a YMCA hostel, in Old Steine, Brighton, was found dying in a pool of blood in Hampton Place, off Western Road, at about 2.30am.

He had spent the hours before he was killed at the Kitchen Bar, in Preston Street.

The jury was told homeless Bishop was in a relationship at the time with Helen Joyce, the former partner of Mr Slade and mother of his son.

On the night of the murder Mr Slade rang Miss Joyce and left a message on her mobile phone asking her to meet him at the bar.

The court was told she did not turn up but her boyfriend Bishop did.

The two men had never met and stood only feet apart in the crowded bar.

CCTV recorded in the bar was shown in court to the jury. The film showed Mr Slade and Bishop standing close to each other at times during the evening.

The prosecution allege Bishop was at the bar for about one-and-a-half hours and in that time he never made any attempt to speak to Mr Slade.

But, it is alleged, when Mr Slade left when the bar closed just after 2am, Bishop was waiting for him.

The prosecution accuse Bishop of following Mr Slade and stabbing him repeatedly.

Mr Slade was found at about 2.30am by passersby lying on his back, with his eyes open, in the road in Hampton Place.

Despite attempts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Miss Joyce has told the jury that days after the murder Bishop called her and said: “I did it for you.”

Bishop denies murder.

The trial continues.