Friend of man killed at Peterborough party tells jury they saw ‘stabbing motion’ before he collapsed and died

Daniel died in the early hours of May 8 last year after he was stabbed in the heart at a party in Crown Street.

Bradley Plavecz (20) of Arkwright Street, Peterborough, is currently on trial charged with murdering 22-year-old Mr Szalasny. He denies the charge.

Yesterday (Tuesday) Ritas Lesutis, a friend of Mr Szalasny, told the jury at Peterborough Crown Court an argument between Plavecz and Mr Szalasny had started in the kitchen during the party.

The court had been told Mr Szalasny had arrived at the party at around 4am.

He said: “There was an incident in the kitchen.

“I did not see what happened - I was in the living room.

“But I heard people shouting ‘stop.’

“I saw Daniel and Brad coming out of the kitchen coming towards the living room. They were shouting and arguing - I’m not sure why.”

Shortly afterwards, he said the owner of the house told everyone to leave and get out of the home.

Mr Lesutis said when people got outside he heard shouting, and saw people pushing each other.

He said; “Everyone was pushing each other. My friend was chasing Brad. I saw the motions of stabbing, and my friend collapsed.”

John Farmer, prosecuting, asked Mr Lesutis to explain more about what he saw.

He replied he never saw a knife, and said: “They were pushing each other. There were many people close to them.

“The next thing Brad was running away, and Daniel was chasing him.. I saw Brad turn round, the knifing motion. My friend collapsed and Brad ran off.”

He was asked by Judge Sean Enright if he had seen one stabbing motion, or more than one. He replied he had seen multiple stabbing motions.

Another friend of Mr Szalasny, Kaspars Vasiljevs said he was not sure what had caused the disagreement between the pair - but he had asked Mr Szalasny before the fatal incident.

He said; “I asked him what was going on. He did not say, but he said ‘if you would see, you would do the same.’”

Mr Vasiljevs said they were the last words spoken by his friend before he died.

He said he was one of the first to reach Mr Szalasny after he collapsed.

He said: “He was on the floor. I gave him a couple of slaps to wake him - I didn’t know what had happened.

“But then I lifted his t-shirt up, and saw the wound.”

Mr Vasiljevs said his friend never regained consciousness.

Plavecz has pleaded not guilty to murder. The trial continues.