A FATHER told how he found his son curled-up in a ball bleeding at the side of a road after he had been brutally stabbed.

Nineteen-year-old Scotsman Craig Hepburn had been fatally injured while on a visit to Marsden.

It was later discovered he had been stabbed 11 times.

Seconds earlier Craig’s friend Connor Paton, 19, had fled attackers to Craig’s uncle’s home in Marsden, where they were all staying, covered in blood shouting “I’ve been stabbed” and calling for help for Craig.

Mr Hepburn later died in hospital from multiple stab wounds to the back. Mr Paton underwent surgery and fully recovered.

Luke Elliott, 22, of Main Avenue, Cowlersley, and Anthony Driver, 36, of Grange Cottages, Marsden, appeared at Leeds Crown Court yesterday charged with murder and attempted murder.

The court heard the two victims from Linwood, Scotland, had only been in Marsden for a few hours before the attack and Craig had earlier entertained locals playing his bagpipes.

Craig’s father Alec told in a statement read in court yesterday how he had arranged to visit his brother, Scott, in Marsden and drove from Scotland together with his wife Carole, sons Andrew and Craig and Craig’s friend Connor on the afternoon of July 6 last year.

He said they had been in ‘high spirits’ on the drive to Marsden ‘laughing and joking’ on the journey.

But the court heard what had been planned as a happy weekend turned to tragedy within hours of their arrival.

The prosecution say Driver and Elliott met the Scottish teens shortly after midnight near the cemetery before an argument broke out during which the pair were stabbed near to Old Mount Road.

Prosecutor Peter Moulson QC told the court: “Both Driver and Elliott were involved in the incident. Both are responsible for the death of Mr Hepburn and the injuries caused to Mr Paton.”

He told how Connor Paton described two hooded men approaching them, accusing them of ‘looking at them’ – which they denied – but they then became ‘aggressive’ towards them.

Connor told in his statement how he tried to help Craig, who was being attacked before he himself was stabbed and ran off to get help.

Craig’s father Alec said in a statement: “I think Scott opened the door and Connor came in shouting ‘I’ve been stabbed’.

“He went into the kitchen and slumped across the worktop, covered in blood.

“Scott and Andrew went out.

“It was total panic. Connor was struggling to breathe. Andrea phoned an ambulance.

“I thought I’ve got to go to Craig. I ran out of the house, I’ve never ran that fast in my life, all the adrenalin, as I ran down the hill I could just see Craig lying in the road.”

The prosecution say that as paramedics were called to assist the victims, the defendants fled to a house at Mount Road, Marsden, where Elliott set about washing blood from his gloves.

A lock knife was also found at the property to have Mr Hepburn’s DNA.

The prosecution maintain one possible motive towards the attack could be football-related due to Craig wearing a Manchester City shirt on the evening he was murdered.

Police later found comments Driver posted on his own Facebook page months before the incident which read: “I hate City more than the police, ha ha, that says something.”

The court also heard how witnesses remember Driver telling them he had been involved in an argument over football shirts and Elliott had stabbed someone.

Prosecutor Mr Moulson told how both defendants denied the killing and in effect ‘blamed each other’.

The trial continues.