Billy Ripley, 20, was stabbed in a church graveyard in Hailsham on August 29 last year.

A jury at Lewes Crown Court heard that a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, plunged a knife 8cm into his chest, slicing a rib and the breast bone.

Videos of the incident taken from nearby shops and a police camera in the town centre show the two males, both armed with large knives, squaring up to each other.

A clip from the Sussex Police camera in Market Square shows the boy drawing a knife from his waistband as he crossed a road to enter the graveyard.

A camera in a nearby freezer shop picked up the boy and Mr Ripley facing each other, both with knives drawn.

The scene in Hailsham (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) As the pair moved out of view, Ryan Richter for the Crown said the boy stabbed Mr Ripley in the heart.

Moments later, the police CCTV camera picked up the teenager leaving the same way.

The same cameras picked up Billy Ripley running back to the town centre, still carrying his knife and clutching his chest.

Family members wept as the court was shown the CCTV of his last moments.

He went back to the town centre war memorial where Ella Doe, 18, was waiting for his return before collapsing.

In a recorded interview with police, she said: “He wasn’t so panicky.

“He was panicking but not so ‘I’m going to die’. He just said ‘call an ambulance’.

“He had blood dripping all over his hands.

“He looked like he was walking fine towards me, but he looked like he was in pain.

Floral tributes left at the scene (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) “I think he didn’t want to show like he was in pain. I think he started to panic a little bit.

“He went to walk, then there was a man who put his T-shirt on him to try and stop the blood.

“I saw his T-shirt was cut and I saw blood. I saw him walking with his hand on his chest saying ‘I’ve just been stabbed’.

“He had his hand on his chest. My phone was dead.

“I was talking to people telling them to get an ambulance.

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“He walked off and then he just flopped.

“Then the ambulance and paramedics came.”

The confrontation started when the teenager spotted Billy Ripley sitting at the war memorial, the court heard.

Ms Doe said the boy shouted over to Billy asking him to meet him round the corner.

“He said it like he knew what he was doing and knew he was going to do something to him because he asked him to go around the corner with him.

Detectives in Hailsham (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) “He was saying it loud and clear, ‘come round the corner, come round the corner’”, Ms Doe said.

Witnesses saw Mr Ripley stumble and collapse saying “I’ve been stabbed in the chest.”

Mr Ripley died from his wound despite paramedics, an emergency doctor and members of the public battling for an hour to save his life.

The 17-year-old boy denies murdering Billy Ripley last summer.

The teenager was identified by witnesses at the scene and arrested within an hour, Mr Richter said.

The boy claimed Mr Ripley attacked him with a knife and he swung his own blade at him once before running away.

Police guarding the scene (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) In a prepared statement, the boy told police: “I did not murder Billy Ripley. I acted in self defence.”

The court heard a large, machete style knife found at the scene was identified as the one Mr Ripley had been carrying.

The weapon Mr Ripley was stabbed with was not recovered, Mr Richter said.

Mr Ripley had spent the day with a young woman, celebrating her 18th birthday.

Ms Doe told police they had spent a peaceful day together and were sitting on benches while she waited for a lift.

Mr Richter said: “She saw Billy going into the churchyard.

“Soon after he came running back.

“He told her to call an ambulance as he had been stabbed.

“He was holding his chest and she could see blood,” Mr Richter said.

The trial at Lewes Crown Court continues.





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