THE last moments of a man’s life, captured on CCTV as he staggered from a Bournemouth flat after being stabbed in the heart, have been shown to a jury.
Nicholas Ormerod, aged 29, died after he was allegedly stabbed twice following a heated row at a ground floor flat in Sea Road, Boscombe.
Mark William Haylock, 49, of no fixed abode, is accused of his murder.
Yesterday, as the trial started, Richard Smith QC, prosecuting, told the jury Mr Ormerod was “stabbed to death by the defendant in April last year, after an argument, an argument you may conclude was about something and nothing.”
Both men were captured on CCTV several times during the afternoon of April 7 consuming alcohol at The Crescent, Boscombe, Bournemouth, with other homeless people.
That evening the victim, the accused and a third man, Wayne McNally, went to the flat of Kerry McGirr, where her boyfriend John ‘Spider’ Henderson was initially sleeping after a day drinking on Bournemouth beach.
Two arguments were alleged to have taken place – the first after Haylock reportedly tried to flirt with Miss McGirr, much to her boyfriend’s annoyance.
The second was reportedly after a number of pills belonging to the victim went missing from a coffee table at the address.
All five people in the flat had consumed “significant” amounts of alcohol, the court was told.
Mr Smith said the victim accused the defendant of stealing his pills – then, with the help of Mr Henderson, searched the accused in the adjoining bedroom.
“You may conclude, at this juncture, the defendant was roughly handled,” said Mr Smith.
“This was the catalyst for the anger of the defendant to stab Nicholas Ormerod.”
Shortly after the argument, when things had seemed to calm down, the defendant walked out of the kitchen with a knife and stabbed Mr Ormerod twice in the chest, the court heard.
Mr Smith said: “The Crown says this defendant was angrily upset at being accused and searched by someone he barely knew.
“In his anger, he did what he did – he committed murder.
“Nicholas Ormerod was defenceless and, you may conclude, utterly surprised by the attack.”
He was captured on CCTV staggering from the flat into the street. Despite medical attention he was later pronounced dead.
The defendant, who immediately left the scene, was arrested the following morning, the court heard.
Under police interview, he said: “I don’t know where my head was at the time. I was so drunk and drugged up I cannot even tell you why I did it.”
After police searched the defendant, a package of pills – 18 powerful sedatives were discovered, the hearing was told.
Haylock, who claims he acted in self defence, denies murder.
The case continues.
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