Harry Pitman, accused of murder, says in court that he had a knife because he was “paranoid”

A teenager accused of stabbing a 16-year-old boy to death on London's Primrose Hill on New Year's Eve told the court he carried a knife after attacks on friends and family made him “paranoid”.

Harry Pitman was fatally stabbed in the neck with what was believed to be a hunting knife following a scuffle while waiting to watch the fireworks.

He collapsed and died minutes later, shortly before midnight.

I was very paranoid when I went out. I always felt like someone was trying to hurt me

A then 16-year-old youth is accused of Harry's murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

Giving evidence at his trial at the Old Bailey on Monday, the defendant said he had kept the knife, which he had hidden under a rubbish bin near the crime scene, for self-defence following a series of knife attacks in the area during his childhood, including on his own brother.

The youth, whose identity is not known due to his age, said he did not know what happened immediately after the incident, but said the victim attacked him and was “full of himself” before the alleged stabbing.

The court heard that the defendant was studying at university at the time of the incident and had no previous convictions.

The defendant told the court that his older brother was stabbed to death when he was “five or six years old” and that he had undergone anxiety therapy during his childhood.

The teenager said that last summer another boy was stabbed in the chest outside his house and that he knew a mutual friend who was stabbed outside a college.

When asked by defence counsel David Bentley KC how the incidents had affected him, the teenager told the court: “I was very paranoid when I went out.”

“I always had the feeling that someone was trying to hurt me.”

The defendant also claimed that in addition to his anxiety, he also suffered from hallucinations and “hearing things”.

He (Harry) moved from one person to another very quickly. He seemed very energetic and confident.

The court heard that the teenager had received the knife from a friend three weeks before the incident because he was “scared”.

He said: “He (the friend) suggested that I take a knife with me because a lot of people were being stabbed in the area.”

Mr Bentley asked: “Did you ever intend to hurt anyone with this knife?”

“No,” answered the youth.

The defendant told the jury that he had taken a taxi to Primrose Hill to watch the fireworks and then to get some food for a friend's birthday and that he had carried the knife in his waistband.

He first noticed Harry as he approached the top of the hill and described the victim and his friends as “a bit loud and chaotic”.

When asked specifically about Harry, the teenager said: “He transformed from one person to another really quickly.

“He seemed very energetic and self-confident.”

He added: “I just wanted to go home because I don't like other people interfering in my affairs.”

The teenager ran towards Harry and his group and showed them the handle of his knife after being told that one of his friends was involved in a fight, the court heard.

He said Harry came up to him and called him a “fucking asshole” before punching him on the right side of his face.

Cell phone recordings of the incident were then played in court, both at normal speed and in slow motion.

Mr Bentley asked: “Did you intend to stab Harry with that knife?”

“No,” replied the defendant.

I thought I might have hit him (Harry) with the scabbard and it flew away

“Did you intend to kill him?” asked Mr. Bentley.

“No,” repeated the youth.

“Why was it necessary to hit him when the knife was still in its sheath?” asked the lawyer.

The defendant said: “I think I just wanted him to get away from me.”

Mr Bentley continued: “Did you know that you had stabbed him?”

“No, but I thought it was quite possible,” said the defendant.

When asked about the immediate aftermath of the incident, he said: “I thought maybe I had hit him (Harry) with the scabbard and it had flown away.”

The defendant denied having intentionally removed the vagina.

The court had previously heard that the incident appeared to have been sparked by a scuffle between Harry and a friend of the defendant shortly after 11.30pm.

Harry is said to have been “playfully fighting” and attempted to kick high, causing him to lose his balance and collide with the boy standing behind him.

During the ensuing scuffle, the victim threw a punch before the defendant moved his right arm up and down in an arc and stabbed him in the neck, the court was told.

Footage from a police body-worn camera showed Harry moving through the crowd, seeking help, before collapsing.

The youth, now 17 years old and with no previous convictions, denies the allegations against him.

The Old Bailey trial continues.