The teenager accused of murdering Andre Bent after a rap concert in Maidstone has told a jury he used a knife to stab a number of people.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is currently on trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

He said: "I had a knife and used it to stab a number of people, and I accept that led to the death of Andre Bent."

The 17-year-old is accused of murdering Mr Bent and stabbing three others. He denies all the charges.

He claimed he saw another man armed with a knife when rapper MoStack grabbed him and pushed him away.

"Mostack said to me: 'What are you doing? What are you doing?"

The teenager shouted: "But they have knives' but Mostack continued to push me away."

Dressed in a blue jumper, the youngster answered questions from his barrister Jeremy Wainwright QC, including how he felt about killing Mr Bent.

He paused for five seconds before leaning forward and telling the jury: "Terrible. It's not something I want to think about."

Mr Wainwright asked: "Did you go to Maidstone intending to hurt anyone?"

He replied: "No."

The teenager said he finished at his academy in London and had travelled to Maidstone to see the rapper, who was performing at the Gallery in Maidstone town centre.

He travelled with three others and had parked in Mill Street and met up with other friends outside the club.

The teenager said he went into the club and went to the VIP area where the group were sitting, before going on stage where the rapper was performing.

"I was very happy. It was the first time I had seen MoStack."

He was captured by a photographer with a cup in his hand containing Ciroc (vodka) and coke and after MoStack had finished performing he left the nightclub after tying his hoodie around his shoulders.

"I wasn't aware of any hostility. I went outside and stood near MoStack in Jubilee Square. MoStack was taking pictures with fans. I was taking pictures of myself.

"I heard shouting between people in my group. I could see my friend Peter on the floor. I went to where he was straight away.

"Peter was on the floor unconscious. There were people around him. When I first saw him I was confused, it made no sense to me. I didn't know what had happened."

The teenager said another friend was upset and had gone down Bank Street and he went after him to comfort him and then they went through an alleyway and into the High Street.

He told the jury that MoStack and another friend then arrived and they walked back to Jubilee Square where they heard others shouting.

The teenager and two friends then went to a car where he found a knife which he tucked in his waistband because he felt frightened.

He said when he returned to Jubilee Square the atmosphere had changed and "There was a lot of hostility and a lot of tension and I felt quite nervous."

He told the jury the rapper pleaded with him: "Go... go" before telling him to put the knife away.

"I did that and then I saw a man running towards me with his fist clenched and behind him there was another man with a belt in his hand."

KMTV's report as the trial opened

The teenager claimed he saw two other men swinging belts and struck two of his group.

"There was a group coming towards me. I didn't know who they were. Because of what had happened we were being attacked but to this day I don't know why.

"Seeing the men with a knife and belts, I was frightened. These men were much older then me.

"My friends began to run up towards Jubilee Square."

The teenager said he saw Lucas Baker with a belt: "Seeing him attacking us for no reason and seeing my friends run, Lucas Baker was shouting aggressively at the group.

"Having seen him attacking us, I stabbed him in the back. I wasn't thinking anything. I just wanted him to stop."

"I just wanted to stop him from attacking me and my friends..."

The teenager said he then saw another man with a red belt and stabbed him.

"I saw him as a threat to me and my friends. I stabbed him a second time," he said.

"I just wanted to stop him from attacking me and my friends."

The teeanger said he then saw MoStack leaving and ran towards his car but the rapper shut the door, the trial continues.

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