Teenager stabbed to death at party was protecting girl, court told

A teenage boy was stabbed to death at a party in the grounds of a £1.5 million mansion as he tried to protect a girl from an alleged killer’s advances, a court has been told.

Charlie Cosser was 17 when he was stabbed in a fight on the dance floor at the Balmohano Farmhouse in Warnham, near Horsham in rural Sussex, on July 22 last year.

Another 17-year-old boy, who was 16 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, denies murder.

The first day of his trial at Lewes Crown Court on Monday heard that at least 100 people attended the party hosted by triplets to celebrate the end of term.

Trouble began to flare when a girl at the party complained about the defendant and said he had made advances on her, Alan Gardner KC said for the prosecution.

The girl said the defendant was “creeping her out”, the barrister said, and Cosser and his friend approached the defendant and asked him to leave.

“Two separate fights erupted on the dance floor,” Mr Gardner said.

“It is on that brief altercation on the dance floor the prosecution say the defendant used the knife he was carrying to stab Charlie Cosser in the chest.

“In the darkness and noise of a crowded dance floor his use of the knife and the knife blows went unnoticed,” Mr Gardner said.

The court was told how Charlie Cosser was able to leave a marquee in the farmhouse grounds, where the teenagers had gathered as summer rain lashed down outside, before he collapsed.

The prosecutor told jurors: “At around midnight another party guest was on the DJ’s stage when he noticed a boy he knew to be Charlie Cosser lying on the grass. It looked like he was in discomfort.”

Known as ‘Cheeks’

The 17 year-old, from Milford in Surrey, who was known as Cheeks, died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital three days later on July 25.

He was described by his father Martin, mother Tara, older brother Adam and younger sister Eloise as “the most caring, cheeky, loving son and brother we could have ever wished for”.

His father held his head and wiped tears from his eyes in court as the jury heard details of his last moments of consciousness.

Mobile phone video footage dated as having been taken at 11.59pm on July 22 last year showed the moment Charlie was stabbed three times in the chest, with police frame-by-frame forensic analysis showing a wound to the central area of the chest proved to be fatal, jurors were told.

Mr Gardner said the defendant, who was then aged 16, or one of his friends brought the knife to the party and that he had blood on his hands and clothes.

The court heard that one partygoer had claimed that the defendant called out “get the shank” moments before the stabbing, and that another witness had later heard the defendant say, “I’ve stabbed someone,” six or seven times.

The knife involved in the stabbing had never been found, the court was told.

The trial continues.