Man left fighting for his life after knifing, jury told

A STABBING in a Bristol butcher's shop left a man fighting for his life, a jury heard.

Teenager Nile Burke thrust the blade into Dulani Simpson when they tussled in Pak Butchers on Stapleton Road, Bristol Crown Court was told.

Mr Simpson was stabbed in the chest and hip and suffered massive bleeding and near-fatal internal injuries.

Burke, 19, whose address was given as Little Brook, Trowbridge, denies attempted murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in June last year.

Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk

myprint-247

View details

Print voucher

Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.

Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

Contact: 01858 468192

Valid until: Sunday, June 30 2013

Robert Duval, opening the case for the prosecution, told the jury: "The prosecution says that the defendant, in the course of a struggle with the complainant in the butcher's shop, produced a knife and used it to inflict deep and life-changing injuries to Mr Simpson's chest, hip/buttock area.

"Count one alleges he intended to kill him. If you are not satisfied that he intended to kill him, you would turn to count two and that he intended to cause grievous bodily harm."

Mr Duval said that when the men met in the butcher's, a verbal confrontation escalated into violence and culminated in Burke producing and deliberately using a knife he must have been carrying.

He told the court: "Immediately after the two wounds Mr Simpson collapsed to the floor, bleeding profusely. The defendant made good his escape as others sought to comfort the victim.

"Emergency services were called and within minutes police and paramedics arrived at the scene and provided emergency treatment."

Mr Simpson was taken to Bristol Royal Infirmary within an hour of being stabbed and was seen by specialist registrar Dinendra Gill.

The casualty was having difficulty breathing and had an elevated heart rate and extremely low blood pressure, the court heard.

He had 670 millilitres of blood drained from his chest and underwent complex surgery which included removal of a damaged section of lung and repair to nerve damage.

The court heard he had been left with permanent disability affecting the raising of one of his feet.

Mr Duval showed CCTV footage charting the men's progress to the shop. Mr Simpson was seen walking from Trinity Road police station and meeting up with a man called Abukar Abukar before they suddenly darted into the shop.

Burke had been at William Hill's bookmakers, along with a man called Raymond White, before the pair cycled to the shop moments after the first pair.

Mr Duval said an arm which cameras detected poking from the shop, which seemed to be holding a shiny object, was the victim holding a can of tuna and "gesticulating" moments before the incident.

The day after Raymond White was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and told police he had spoken to Burke whilst playing a fruit machine in the bookies, and had followed when he left.

Mr White described how, at the shop, violence flared when Mr Simpson invited Burke into the butcher's and hit him with a tin of food before they exchanged blows.

Two tins of tuna were found on the shop floor – one with DNA matching Burke's and the other with Mr Simpson's fingerprint on.

The case continues.