A TEENAGER accused of murdering a man admitted he did “nothing to help” the victim, adding “I didn’t know he was dying”, a court heard.

Two boys, a 16-year-old from Christchurch and a 17-year-old from Bournemouth, are accused of stabbing and slashing 35-year-old Edward Reeve more than a dozen times at his home in Heath Road, Walkford on New Year’s Eve 2021.

Continuing his evidence at Winchester Crown Court, the Christchurch teen described the incident as a “weird situation to happen”.

Bournemouth Echo:

READ MORE: Edward Reeve murder trial: Accused teen's evidence continues

He had previously told jurors he acted in self-defence when Mr Reeve challenged him for stealing his computer and threatened him with a dumbbell. He said his co-defendant then attacked him further.

The Christchurch teen admitted stabbing Mr Reeve three or four times to the left thigh and buttocks.

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones QC put it to the defendant that the injuries he said he inflicted were “consistent with Mr Reeve being chased”.

The Christchurch teen denied “chasing” Mr Reeve. He said: "Near to the end, he turned away. It happened in a blink of an eye, I couldn't be exact on where I did do it.”

Ms Karmy-Jones QC asked whether the two defendants made Mr Reeve sit on a chair before attacking him further, and that is how the chair became “badly broken”.

The teenager admitted it wasn’t broken when they arrived but denied forcing him to sit on it and attacking him.

He said he returned to Mr Reeve’s address on January 3 to “see what the outcome of the night was”.

He said he did not know why he didn’t phone Mr Reeve, despite having numerous texts and calls before New Year’s Eve, and denied it being because he knew the victim was dead.

He was at the address for around ten minutes, he said, and didn’t go in the property.

“I still didn't 100 per cent know what happened and I was trying to think what to do, whether to go in, go home or what,” he said.

“I didn't hear anything about what had happened. Last time I saw him he was on the floor by the back door, but he was still very much alive when I left.

"I didn't know he was dying.”

The teen admitted he did “nothing” to help Mr Reeve to help him after the incident, the court heard.

Asked why he answered “no comment” to police when questioned if it was self-defence, the teen said: “I’m not going to go against what my solicitor told me to do.”

Ms Karmy-Jones QC said: “Mr Reeve picked up that dumbbell to defend himself against you, I suggest.

“Even if he did come at you, what you did went well beyond what was necessary.”

Both teens deny murder. The Christchurch teen admits having a knife, the Bournemouth teen denies the same charge.

Neither can be named and the trial continues.