A party-goer thought that his friend who was stabbed to death at an end-of-term party had spilled a Kopparberg on himself ‘because his T-shirt was covered in red’, a court heard today.
Wiktor Mlynarski told jurors how he found teenager Charlie Cosser sitting on a pallet after he was stabbed in a brawl on the grounds of a £1.5million country mansion on July 23 last year.
Charlie, 17, died in hospital three days after being stabbed several times at the summer event at Balmohano Farmhouse, in Warnham, West Sussex. Another teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies murder.
Mr Mlynarski, who was 22 at the time, said he discovered his friend following a fight on the dance floor which he claimed had erupted after a young girl complained about being touched by another party guest.
He told Lewes Crown Court in Brighton that the defendant threw the first punch after they asked him and his friend to leave for the second time. At least four people were involved in the brawl which followed.
After he was dragged away, Mr Mlynarski said he heard an announcement from the DJ saying his friend was in trouble.
‘Someone was shouting my name, saying Wiktor, Wiktor your mate is f***ed. I found Charlie sitting at the back on a pallet. It probably took me 10, 20 mins to find him. He was there by himself.
‘I think it was only the person serving the drinks who was making sure he was OK.
‘He said to me; ‘My chest and my back really hurts’. When I approached him, I knew he was wearing a grey T-shirt. I thought he had spilled a Kopparberg on him because his T-shirt was covered in red.’
Kopparberg is a popular fruity cider from Sweden and the mixed fruity flabour is a clear light red colour.
Mr Mlynarski continued: ‘I asked people around why his T-shirt was red and people said he had been hit by a hammer. I asked him to stay there and lift his T-shirt, so I could see what was going on.
‘After we saw the injuries I said get an ambulance immediately because I could see it was clear cuts.
He told the court in Brighton when he took his hand away from the T-shirt it was covered in blood.
‘I tried to help him. I stayed with him and applied pressure on his wounds.
‘My first thought was lay down, don’t move and apply pressure on his chest.
‘I stayed with him for about half an hour.’
The court heard Charlie – known as Cheeks – was stabbed during an eruption of violence on the dance floor.
Other guests described a brawl involving between four and five boys, seconds before midnight.
Charlie died three days later in hospital at Brighton.
Witnesses told a jury in Brighton guests were aware of rumours the defendant had been inappropriate with a young girl at the party.
The teenage defendant gave no comment interview and the court heard the knife used to stab Charlie has never been found.
Charlie, from Milford in Surrey, was described as caring and loving by his devastated parents.
The trial at Lewes Crown Court in Brighton continues.