THE best friend of a man who suffered a fatal stab wound to the chest broke down in tears as he told police officers: “It should never have happened; it should have been me.”

Stephen Smith’s police interview was played at Teesside Crown Court on the third day of Jonathan Porritt’s murder trial.

Jurors were told that John Lewis was stabbed through the heart following a confrontation with Mr Porritt over claims he was involved in a robbery of Mr Smith’s nephew.

The Smith family blamed Mr Porritt, 28, for carrying out the robbery on Andrew Smith and were determined to retrieve his stolen bike, mobile phone and £60 in cash.

The jury was told that members of Smith’s family were determined to retrieve the stolen goods and set out to track down the 28-year-old to his house on Crescent Road, Middlesbrough, in May.

Following a confrontation, the court heard that Mr Lewis suffered a single stab wound to his chest, piercing his heart.

During a recorded police interview, Mr Smith said: “I was stood on the path near the gate, I saw John come down the stairs followed by Porritt, there was a scuffle and a woman got between them and said ‘don’t let them bully you’. He said ‘I’m not going to’ and then pulled a knife out of his waistband.

“I saw him pull it out, I started to run down the path, he plunged it into John’s chest and swung the knife at me and just missed my neck. John picked up a plank of wood and started to hit him with it.

“John walked up the path got into the passenger seat and said ‘I need the hospital’. Porritt booted the car and he chased me round the car shouting ‘I’m going to kill you’.

“I got into the car and John was pouring with blood; I could see the stab wound in his chest.”

Mr Smith drove his fatally injured friend to hospital, he said: “I knew at the time John was dying. They came out (of the hospital) put him on a trolley and then came back out and told me he had passed away.

“It should never have happened; it should have been me.”

When officers asked Mr Smith what happened after Mr Porritt stabbed his friend, he said: “I thought he was going to kill me; he went crazy and started shouting ‘I’m going to kill you. I’ve done him and I’ll f***ing do you as well’.”

The trial continues.