Karl Gallagher murder trial: Witness thought stabbing victim had been pushed
A taxi driver said he thought a murder victim had been pushed by another man – only later realising he had been stabbed after seeing blood, a court heard.
Karl Gallagher, 31, was stabbed at West Cross Shopping Centre, in Smethwick, on April 26 last year.
Tyrelle Harris, 19, is on trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court for Mr Gallagher's murder. He has admitted carrying out the stabbing but denies murder, instead claiming he acted in self-defence.
Giving evidence on Tuesday, Uber driver Ahmed Mahmood said he was parked up at the West Cross Shopping Centre in his blue Toyota Yaris Estate on April 26.
More from the trial:
He told the jury he saw Mr Gallagher fall to the ground – but originally thought he had been pushed by the other male. He only realised he had been stabbed when he saw blood.
He said: "I saw him [Gallagher] fall back. I was sat in the driver's seat of my car and the windows were closed.
"I saw what happened – I saw the one guy make a move toward his chest area, I thought it was a push to his chest at first, but from seeing all the blood afterwards it appears he stabbed him.
"I only knew he had been stabbed when I saw the blood coming from him. I just thought it was a push. I did not see the weapon at any stage. The man in the light clothing [Gallagher] fell onto his back."
Earlier in the hearing, jurors were show CCTV footage of the stabbing outside the shopping centre by Detective Constable Spencer Jenkins, of West Midlands Police, who provided a commentary of the footage taken.
Dynamics
He said that Mr Gallagher walked towards Harris with his hands behind his back. He then described Harris carrying out a "flick out motion" as he brandished a knife, where the "dynamics had changed".
Towards the end of commentary, DC Jenkins described how Mr Gallagher "collapsed backwards".
Discussing mobile phone footage captured from inside a car, DC Jenkins said: "This shows the coming together, they step back, it shows Mr Gallagher at the right both hands down in front of him. Gallagher goes back, his observation is down to the hands area of Harris.
"Harris is in a spread leg stance, his right arm is about to come then forward – he moves forward, it shows the stab to the chest, his arms are fully extends, Gallagher is in the process of raising his hands. His hands are open and they appear to come together as the arm of Harris is drawn back.
"You can see the knife quite clearly in Harris' hand. Harris steps back, you start to see marking on the front of the chest area on Gallagher. Harris is in the process of turning as Gallagher falls at exactly the same time."
The trial continues.
