A man set fire to a block of flats and then stabbed his neighbour as he tried to flee the burning building, a court has heard.
Samuel Huggins from Ipswich has been charged with attempted murder, GBH with intent, arson and threatening with a blade.
The 55-year-old stands accused of starting a fire in his own flat as part of a “ruse” intended to lure his neighbour, Gary Kerr, out of his property so he could try to kill him on June 26.
Prosecutor Kate Davies said Mr Huggins told Mr Kerr that “one of our lives is going to end today” while carrying out the attack.
The court was told that Mr Kerr was drinking a coffee and eating breakfast at around 8am when he heard a smoke alarm ringing from Mr Huggins’s flat opposite.
When more alarms started, Mr Kerr looked through his spyhole to find out what was happening.
The prosecution said Mr Huggins was originally “lurking out of sight”, but when Mr Kerr opened the door, Mr Huggins “appeared from nowhere” and stabbed him in his stomach with an eight-inch blade.
The court heard that Mr Kerr was then stabbed again in the same place, and this time the knife went “all the way through” the little finger of the hand which he had placed over his wound.
The trial is ongoing at Ipswich Crown Court
|
PA
The prosecution continued, saying that Mr Kerr that stumbled back into his flat before falling onto a table in his sitting room.
However, Mr Huggins allegedly “kept coming at him” and stabbed him again with the knife.
The court was told that during the attack, Mr Huggins told Mr Kerr that “all his neighbours were against him” and he in fact wanted to attack a different, female neighbour.
Keith Hamilton, another resident in the building, appeared from downstairs and was pulled into the flat by Mr Huggins, who threatened him with a knife, the court heard.
NEIGHBOUR ROWS – READ MORE:
Police were called to a property on Station Street in Ipswich (pictured)
|
Ms Davies said: “Mr Huggins said the police and ambulance should be called as he was going to end one of their lives, and Mr Kerr thought he was going to die.
“He described seeing rage behind Mr Huggins’ eyes and said he was dressed head-to-toe in black, rather sinisterly – a deathly outfit for a deathly intent.”
The court heard that after he left the building, Mr Huggins told witnesses: “I just stabbed someone and I have just tried to… kill someone.”
The prosecution accused Mr Huggins of starting a fire on purpose using a pile of papers in his kitchen.
They added that his actions were premeditated and Mr Huggins wanted to kill the victim.
Ms Davies said: “His deliberate and repeated stabbing shows an intention to kill Gary Kerr.”
Mr Huggins denies all charges.
The trial continues.
