Drug user snarled at victim

A HEROIN addict accused of stabbing his drug dealer to death in an Ipswich flat was seen to snarl at his victim before lunging at him during the attack, it has been alleged.

Nineteen-year-old Peter Brown collapsed after being stabbed 18 times by former Big Issue seller Paul Dwyer during an argument at a flat in Parkwood, Henley Road, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

One of the wounds severed Mr Brown's jugular vein and was likely to have been the main cause of death, said Elizabeth Nash QC, prosecuting.

Part of the attack was witnessed by Dwyer's then-girlfriend who described his face being contorted by a snarl as he lunged at Mr Brown.

The woman, whose name cannot be published because of a court order, said she was horrified by what she saw when she came out of her bedroom after hearing grunting noises and Dwyer calling for help.

She said that Dwyer was on the floor of the living room with Mr Brown standing astride him gripping his collar.

Dwyer told her to get the other man off him and, after she pulled Mr Brown away, she noticed for the first time that the room was covered in blood.

She said: “I was freaked out. There was blood absolutely everywhere, it seemed.”

After seeing Mr Brown collapse shortly afterwards, she told Dwyer to call an ambulance and had then left the flat to go to work.

However, the court heard that when police officers forced entry into the flat nearly 24 hours later they discovered Mr Brown's blood-stained body lying on the floor.

Dwyer, 38, of no fixed address, has denied murdering Mr Brown on October 25, 2001.

Miss Nash told the jury Dwyer had stood trial for Mr Brown's murder in 2002 but there had been a problem with the trial, which was not Dwyer's fault.

Outlining the background to the case, Miss Nash said Mr Brown was a drug dealer and had supplied drugs to Dwyer, who was a heroin addict.

After his arrest, Dwyer told police that Mr Brown had pulled out a knife and anything he had then done had been to protect himself.

The trial continues today.