A MAN accused of murder appeared ‘an emotional wreck’ when he arrived back at a Marsden house the night Craig Hepburn was fatally stabbed, a witness told a court.

Anthony Driver was said to have turned up at a party minutes after Mr Hepburn was attacked and told people he had been unable to stop his co-accused, Luke Elliott.

The jury sitting at Leeds Crown Court yesterday heard evidence about the moments after Scottish piper Mr Hepburn was stabbed 11 timed in a frenzied attack in Marsden on the evening of July 6.

Elliott, 21, of Main Avenue Cowlersley and Driver, 36, of Grange Cottages, Marsden, are standing trial accused of murder and the attempted murder of a second man Conor Paton.

The witness, who cannot be named, said he was with Elliott who was drinking with a group of friends at a house in Mount Road then left at 11.45pm to go and meet Driver.

The court heard Elliott was later phoned by the witness and heard ‘something bad had happened’ and a group met the pair at the end of the street before all of them ran back to the house.

The witness said Elliott and Driver rushed into the house after them and Elliott said: “I’ve stabbed two people”.

He then went either to the bathroom or kitchen.

The court heard earlier in the trial how witness Bradley Pierce described seeing blood-soaked gloves being washed by Elliott and a ‘clunk’ like a knife being dropped in the kitchen sink.

The witness yesterday said he did not see a knife and said he stayed on the sofa next to Driver who was an ‘emotional wreck’ and kept saying: ‘I couldn’t stop him’.

He said the group were shocked, horrified and scared by what they had heard but stayed up drinking and listening to music before going upstairs to bed around 3.30am.

The witness told police in his interview Driver admitted he had thrown a knife in the river but during cross-examination from Mr Elvidge, for Driver, he said he couldn’t remember whether Driver said it or he heard it in the village the day after the attack.

Mr Andrew Hall for Elliott, then asked the witness about drink and drugs he consumed during the several hours he was at Mount Road that night.

The witness said he was drinking Carling beer and had some ‘weed’ but his memory was not ‘clouded’ as Mr Hall suggested.

The court heard earlier Driver told police in interview he was present at the attack but denies murder and attempted murder. Elliott said he was not there and also denies both charges.

The trial continues.