Darren Parker murder trial: Stabbed man denies plot to 'sort out' neighbour
A man has denied an accusation that he acted as part of a vigilante team before his step-father was stabbed to death in the Black Country.
Darren Parker died after being stabbed in the heart at a block of flats in West Bromwich during a row between his step-son Sean Varden and a neighbour over a stolen TV.
Mr Varden, who was also stabbed, told a jury of the moment his step-father collapsed after telling him 'I'm dying'.
MORE: West Bromwich father 'stabbed by step-sons neighbour in row over stolen TV'
Demarco Martin, aged 19, denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter. He also denies the attempted murder of Mr Varden and an alternative charge of unlawful wounding.
Mr Varden claims he was attacked after asking next-door neighbour Martin if he had taken his TV from his flat in Campville Crescent, Stone Cross, before Mr Parker, who was 43, was then knifed as he came to his step-son's aid.
But during cross-examination at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Mr Richard Carey-Hughes QC, defending, suggested Mr Varden had not told the truth about what happened on the afternoon of April 6. The defence claims Martin attacked the pair in self-defence after they burst into his flat.
Mr Carey-Hughes put it to Mr Varden that he had visited Martin's flat earlier in the day when he and Martin had a row before 'recruiting' Mr Parker to 'sort out' Martin and two pals who were in the flat with him.
Mr Carey-Hughes told him: "You were acting as a team, I'm going to suggest a vigilante team, you recruited him. You decided to take the law into your own hands and sort these people out and you got your step-dad to help you with that didn't you?"
Mr Varden replied: "No."
The barrister also questioned Mr Varden's account that Martin pulled out the army-style knife without any provocation.
Mr Varden broke down in tears when he recalled the moment his step-father collapsed in a pool of blood. Paramedics battled to save him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The trial continues.
Asked about his step-father's final moments, Mr Varden told the jury: "If you put a hose pump into him and turned the tap on.. it (blood) was coming out of him, nothing could stop it."
