Murder trial begins for fatal stabbing outside the Queen's Head pub in Boughton-under-Blean near Faversham

A father was stabbed to death outside a village pub, killing “in an act of aggression” after a telephone argument escalated from “friendly banter” to a confrontation involving weapons.

Painter and decorator Adam Pritchard suffered fatal blood loss when William Cosier, accused of murder, stabbed him nine inches deep through the ribs with a knife taken from the kitchen of the Queen's Head in Boughton-under-Blean.

Mr Pritchard, 35, lived in Faversham with his partner and their two children. He had only been at the venue for around five minutes when he was stabbed just before 10.40pm on March 13 this year.

Cosier, known as Billy, had been at the venue since lunchtime, drinking lager and whiskey and snorting cocaine.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that the moment the 34-year-old armed himself with the blade and walked outside to Mr Pritchard, who was “waving” an air rifle at him, was captured on video footage.

Cosier later told police his brain was “scrambled” and that he stabbed Mr Pritchard to prevent “multiple” shots to his head, face and body.

However, jurors were told that while it was not known “exactly” when the fatal stab wound occurred or when the shot was fired, the prosecution argued that Cosier did not act in self-defense and that his intention that night was to cause “at least” serious harm to the victim, “if not kill him.”

Cosier, of Well Lane, Canterbury, denies murder and the alternative charge of manslaughter.

Opening the trial today (September 17), prosecutor Don Ramble said Cosier had been with another man, Craig Brabon, at the Queen's Head in The Street.

Mr Brabon was a close friend of Mr Pritchard, but the two are said to have fallen out.

That evening they communicated by text message and phone, and the victim, an avid gym-goer, also sent a photo of herself working out.

The prosecutor said their contact had fluctuated between “friendly banter and more aggressive” conversations and at one point Mr Brabon gave Cosier his phone so he could speak to Mr Pritchard.

CCTV footage showed him “walking around and talking” in the bar area and outside and their argument, Mr Ramble said, ultimately led to Mr Pritchard turning up at the pub at 10.34pm.

His friend Leigh Bean had driven him there, and the camera caught him walking through the front doors of the Queen's Head and straight up to Cosier.

The two men exchanged numerous blows and Cosier, himself a powerfully built man, also picked up a stool.

Mr Pritchard then walked back to the pavement, where he was stabbed moments later.

The prosecutor described the events of those minutes as follows: “He (Adam Pritchard) waved Billy Cosier out and he did. He went outside where Adam Pritchard was.

“But before he went outside, he went into the pub's kitchen and grabbed a knife. He eventually stabbed Adam Pritchard with the knife after he went outside.

“Adam Pritchard, in turn, shot the defendant with the air rifle. Both sustained injuries.

“But while Billy Cosier was able to get into his car and drive away, Adam Pritchard died shortly afterwards from the effects of a knife wound.”

Mr Pritchard had initially attempted to return to the pub before he was seen on camera walking down the street and even speaking to Mr Brabon before being put into Mr Bean's Peugeot with the intention of taking him to hospital.

However, the court heard that an ambulance was intercepted en route to the scene and that, despite paramedics' attempts, Mr Pritchard was pronounced dead at the roadside shortly after midnight.

The gun he had been holding against his bleeding wound was found in the car.

Cosier drove away in his Mercedes, appeared at a police station later that day and was arrested on suspicion of murder.

In a prepared statement, he told officers that Mr Brabon had been “screaming and arguing” on the phone and that when Mr Pritchard was handed the phone, he branded him “that little fat bitch”.

Cosier said he had drunk about six pints of San Miguel, some whiskey and five or six “pinches” of Coke. He told police he had “heard of” Mr Pritchard and that he was “known for his violent nature”.

He added that when he arrived, Mr Pritchard called out from the car park and “wouldn't go away”, so Cosier took the knife from the kitchen and went outside. He could not remember a fight, the jury was told.

There, he claimed, Mr Pritchard first aimed at the gun under his shirt before taking it out and “waving it and pointing it at him”.

Cosier explained: “He was jumping up and down. He seemed to be on drugs. He was going crazy… because he pointed a gun at me, I retreated to the bar.”

“Adam Pritchard was still screaming, 'Come out or I'll come in.'”

Cosier said he still had the knife and had “many thoughts” going through his head, including that Mr Pritchard might shoot into the bar or come after him with the gun.

“My brain was messed up, I was scared, I was drugged,” he continued, adding that he believed going outside was “the only way” to protect himself and others.

At that point, he said, he was shot.

“I went out. He [Adam Pritchard] “I shot myself several times. At some point I must have turned away because I was shot in the back and neck,” the defendant stated.

“He also shot me four or five times in the face and arm. He kept shooting at me and I remember stabbing him to stop him from shooting me.”

The court heard that before Mr Pritchard arrived at the pub, Cosier was seen in the kitchen taking a red-handled knife, but it was taken from him by staff.

Shortly before 10:20 p.m., he managed to steal a knife with a green handle and put it in the back of his jeans.

However, after it was placed on a table outside, another customer brought it back to the kitchen.

Mr Prtichard had already left the pub when Cosier was seen taking the knife he intended to use in the stabbing. It had a yellow handle and was never found.

The commotion in the street was seen and heard by several people, and prosecutors believe that in a recording made by one person, Cosier could be heard saying, “I'm going to kill you, you're dead,” while Mr Pritchard revealed that he was bleeding.

The court heard that Cosier himself was injured and had to have several metal bullets removed from the gun in hospital.

But Mr Ramble told the jury: “The prosecution believes that Billy Cosier did not act in self-defence and that his intention was at least to inflict serious bodily harm, if not death.”

Referring to CCTV footage from a nearby shop showing the immediate aftermath of the stabbing and Mr Pritchard walking away from the pub, the prosecutor added: “The prosecution is unable to say exactly when the fatal stab wound occurred. The prosecution is unable to say exactly when the air rifle was fired.”

“But we say if you look at the footage, it's William Cosier moving toward Adam Pritchard and it's Adam Pritchard backing away.”

Mr Ramble continued: “The prosecution considers that Billy Cosier was not acting in self-defence when he walked out of The Queen's Head pub with the knife on his back. He stabbed Adam in an act of aggression. He was behaving aggressively.”

“As to intent, what other intent could he have had when he pushed the knife in almost to the hilt, and what other intent could he have had than to cause grievous bodily harm?”

The trial is ongoing and is expected to take up to three weeks.