A MAN who witnessed part of what proved a fatal attack described it as like, “a herd of lions attacking a young lad.”

The witness gave a statement to police investigating the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Jack Woodley.

He died in hospital the day after the attack, which took place on the evening of Saturday October 16, the final night of the fairground at the annual Houghton Feast celebration, in Houghton-le-Spring.

Newcastle Crown Court was told the witness was drinking with the manager of the Britannia Inn, Houghton-le-Spring, at the Newbottle Street premises, that evening.

Read more: Jack Woodley murder trial at Newcastle Crown Court

In his statement, read to a jury at the court today (Monday March 21), he said at about 9.30pm several customers began looking out of the side window at a disturbance in an alleyway, next to the pub.

The witness told police: “I went to look out and I saw what I can describe as, ‘a herd of lions’, attacking a young lad.

“He was cowering behind a green BT box while five to seven lads were hitting him.

“He had no chance to fight back as there were too many of them.

“He managed to slip away, but they followed him.

“I then saw the same group reappear and run off in the direction of the church.

“It was a huge melee.

“It was the same group who were punching and kicking the lad behind the BT box.

“After 30 seconds to a minute later I heard someone say: ‘He’s collapsed’.”

The witness said he went out to see the victim lying to one side on the ground with two women attending to him.

He asked a pub regular to ring for an ambulance, amid a scene of, “still chaos” outside, and he was still on the phone when the police and ambulance arrived.

The witness said he then went back into the pub.

Another witness whose statement was also read to the court, described seeing a group of youths, who he said were dressed, “like chavs”, running along The Broadway, in Houghton-le-Spring from the direction of the Dairy Lane showfield.

He said they ran to an alleyway next to the Britannia where there seemed to be some sort of disturbance taking place, with, “fists all over the place.”

The witness, who was waiting for a bus in The Broadway, said a girl came over and said to someone else at the stop: “He’s been stabbed.”

Asked who had stabbed him, the girl replied: “The big one”.

He said a group of youths then came back along The Broadway, near to the church, saying they needed to catch a bus.

The witness said he went over to the alleyway and saw two women attending to the casualty, and then police arrived and ushered him away.

One of the women who went to Mr Woodley's aid at the scene, Katherine Smith, said she was smoking outside the front door of the Britannia when she heard a commotion in the alleyway at the side.

Although she was screaming at the attackers to leave the victim alone, her shouts were ignored.

She said she saw the face of Mr Woodley who was trying to escape by climbing over the fance behind the BT box as punches and kicks flew in at him.

"He looked absolutely scared. I have never seen anyone so petrified in my life."

Asked by prosecuting counsel Mark McKone, if Mr Woodley used any violence in trying to defend himself, Ms Smith said: "He was just trying his best to get away."

She said he managed to run a little further down the alleyway, but was further attacked and then staggered and fell over.

Ms White and friend Marie Davidson then went to his aid as he lay on the ground in the alleyway, trying to prevent blood loss from the stab wound to his back before the arrival of paramedics.

Ten youths, aged 14 to 17 at the time of the incident, deny a charge of murder.

The trial resumes on Wednesday after a day's gap due to counsel unavailability tomorrow.

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