Stabbing accused 'scared' doctor

Andrew Thompson said his mother told him she was scared

The son of a doctor stabbed to death on her driveway has said she warned him that the man accused of killing her was "scaring" her minutes before she died.

Andrew Thompson, 21, told Maidstone Crown Court he was half asleep as his mother, Dr Victoria Anyetei, expressed her fears on 14 August last year.

Family friend David Quartey, 22, of Humber Road, Dartford, Kent, denies murdering the consultant paediatrician.

Her body was found inside her car in Teynham Road, Dartford two hours later.

The doctor, who had been about to leave for work at St Thomas's Hospital, London, had 56 stab wounds.

Mr Thompson told the jury relations between his mother and Mr Quartey were strained after he lied to her about failing his exams.

I remember my mother shaking me. She said 'David's scaring me, he's acting strange' Andrew Thompson

The defendant, who had known Dr Anyetei in their native Ghana, had been staying with them while he studied for an Access course with the aim of going on to a £14,000-a-year law degree.

His family had become friends with the doctor after she saved the life of one of their children, and he called her "mum" or "mother".

But Mr Quartey, the son of a High Court judge, had a poor attendance record at Kensington College of Business and had failed his exams twice, putting his visa in jeopardy.

Mr Thompson said Mr Quartey told Dr Anyetei he had not yet received the results but she found out the truth from the college and confronted him.

'Wanted to sleep'

Two days later, on the morning she died, Mr Thompson said he was asleep in his bedroom when he became vaguely aware of his mother coming in.

"I remember my mother shaking me. She said 'David's scaring me, he's acting strange'," he said.

"I remember hearing a voice and opening my eyes slightly for the last couple of words and then I closed my eyes again. I wasn't really listening.

"I didn't expect anything that morning really, I just wanted to sleep."

About two hours later Mr Quartey came in and he noticed he had something on his chin, which the prosecution alleges were teeth marks from Dr Anyetei, whom its says bit him in a struggle.

Mr Thompson said that moments later he was disturbed by shrieks from Mr Quartey from outside and looked out of the window to see him "shaking" Dr Anyetei as she sat in the front seat of her car.

"The next minute I hear 'Andy, Andy' and I looked out of my window and saw my mother moving around and he was shaking her," he said.

He rushed downstairs and opened the door of the car.

"I grabbed my mother and I started shaking her. I was shouting 'Mum, Mum'."

Pointing to his ribs, he added: "The first thing I noticed was a stab wound here at the side."

The trial was adjourned until Monday.