A friend of murdered asylum seeker Peiman Bahmani described the last few moments of his friend's life to a jury yesterday.

Reza Namdar had been with the 30-year-old Iranian when he was attacked by Steven Roberts, 18, on August 28. Mr Namdar told Newcastle Crown Court how he watched his friend being stabbed by a "gaunt" man, who was armed with two kitchen knives in Peel Street, Sunderland..

Mr Bahmani had been due to start a new life in Brighton but a two day delay in the pre-booked coach journed ended up costing him his life.

With the help of an interpreter, Mr Namdar told the court: "What I saw was very brief. It was the deceased went outside and the gaunt man stabbed him.

"He had a knife in both hands. One of them certainly had a cerated blade. I noticed they were both big kitchen knives, just normal kitchen knives.

"He wasn't given a chance at all. He was stabbed as soon as he came out. There was no time to do anything."

Mr Namdar told the court how he initially thought Mr Bahmani had been received injuries to his hands but quickly realised he was bleeding heavily from the left side of his chest.

Mr Namdar added: "When I went back to him and tore his T-shirt and said what happened to you he said 'they stabbed me on my last day'. "When I tore his T-shirt and tried to comfort him he said Reza open the door, 'let them see they have killed me, let me out'."

Mr Bahmani went back outside the house, supported by his friend, until police and ambulance arrived at the scene.

Roberts, of Morvenside, Edinburgh denies murder, racially aggrevated assault and violent disorder.

Joseph Rutherford, 23, of Gray Rd, Sunderland, denies affray, racially aggrevated assault and violent disorder and Gavin Gash, 27, of Hedworth Street, Sunderland, denies racially aggrevated assault and violent disorder, all relating to the build up to the murder.

The trial, expected to last three weeks, continues.