A STREET drinker was stabbed to death with a £10 camping knife after a fight with a homeless teenage outside a betting shop in the centre of Exeter.

Stephen Cook was filmed on city centre CCTV staggering into the Betfred shop in Sidwell Street after being stabbed by 19-year-old Brian Jewell with a knife which he had bought the previous day.

Jewell has gone on trial for murder at Exeter Crown Court where he accepts inflicting the fatal injury but says he was acting in self-defence.

The jury have been shown CCTV of a fight in which 45-year-old Mr Cook broke a bottle on the pavement before advancing on Jewell and swinging it at him before a 15 second fight in which he was stabbed.

Jewell had got an older friend to buy the £10 Opinel No 8 lock knife from Taunton Leisure in Fore Street, Exeter, just over a day earlier because he was too young to buy it himself.

He pulled it out of his pocket shortly before the confrontation in which Mr Cook died but hid it from him and did nothing to warn him that he was armed, the jury heard.

Jewell, aged 19, of no fixed address and previously of Christchurch, Dorset, denied murder and manslaughter.

Miss Jo Martin, KC, prosecuting, said Mr Cook died from loss of blood within an hour of being stabbed at 8.10 pm on Saturday January 28 this year.

She said both him and Jewell were street homeless and CCTV from the preceding two hours showed him drinking outside Marks and Spencer. Toxicology from samples taken after his death showed he was two times over the drink drive limit and had traces of cannabis, cocaine and the heroin substitute methadone in his system.

Jewell was filmed inside Taunton Leisure the previous day with his friend Victor Nelson, who tried to buy the knife but could not prove he met the age limit of 25. An older friend went in later to buy the same knife for just under £10 and it was handed over to Jewell.

He and Nelson were seen moving around the city centre together on the following night, at one stage apparently trying to sell two bottles of spirits which may have been stolen from a shop.

CCTV showed Mr Cook also wandering around the city centre before heading to Sidwell Street where he was seen punching another homeless man, leading to a fight in which Jewell became involved in the doorway of Betfred.

The manager moved all of the group out into the street and Miss Martin said Mr Cook quite deliberately smashed a bottle on the pavement.

She said: 'It took him three goes to break it and he then moved towards Mr Jewell with it. The jury are going to need to assess the actions of both of these men.

'We say Jewell moved backwards as Mr Cook lashed out with his right arm holding the bottle.

'It is difficult to see exactly what happened but the CCTV has been slowed down by computer experts. In real time it shows Mr Cook lashing out with the bottle a couple more times and Jewell coming towards and raising his leg.

'Within 15 seconds the worst of the fight is over and Mr Cook and Jewell stood away from each other and Mr Nelson does his best to try to stop things escalating further and managed to push Jewell away.

'The two men turn to walk away and Mr Cook throws the bottle in their direction, causing Mr Nelson to duck. The bottle lands without hitting anyone. Mr Cook turned around and headed towards Betfred.

'It is clear that he realises he has been stabbed and you will see him on the footage raise his jumper and you can see blood pouring from his chest. He went into Bedfred and collapsed onto the floor.'

Miss Martin said the slowed down and enhanced footage appeared to show Jewell putting one hand into the pocket where the knife was and the other on the outside helping to open and lock it.

She said: 'As Mr Cook went to hit him, Jewell can be seen to take his arm back and with the knife in his hand, bring it forward in a sweeping motion towards Mr Cook. There was no warning by Jewell to Mr Cook to back off because he had a knife.

'He simply lashed out with it, going forward to stab Mr Cook.'

The trial continues