Staff recall knife attack killing

Staff at a music store have recalled the moment they witnessed a security guard being stabbed to death.

Paul Cavanagh, 30, of Rockland St Mary, Norfolk, was stabbed to death on 18 December, 2006, at the HMV store in Chapelfield shopping centre, Norwich.

The store's assistant manager told Norwich Crown Court he saw the guard fall backwards with blood "flowing from his mouth".

David Watson, 20, of Hackney, east London, denies murdering the guard.

He also denies charges of wounding with intent and attempting to wound with intent.

Giving evidence, Paul Griffiths, assistant store manager of HMV said: "As I looked, Paul was falling backwards. He was looking directly at me. Blood was flowing from his mouth.

He appeared agitated, crazed Witness Claire Griffiths

"There was nothing he could do."

Mr Griffiths called for an ambulance, but Mr Cavanagh died shortly afterwards.

Part time shop assistant Claire Griffiths described how she saw a man with a knife wrestling with Gavin Levett, a security guard from the Boots store opposite HMV.

She told jurors the knifeman then ran through the store threatening to stab people if they got in his way.

"He appeared agitated, crazed," she said.

"He was covered in blood from his face downwards. There were one or two people chasing him, but everyone else was trying to get out of the way."

She told the court how she used Mr Levett's coat to staunch the flow of blood from a wound on his shoulder.

Mr Levett survived the attack.

Rachel Porter, who was shopping in Chapelfield, told jurors how at first she thought it was some sort of joke.

"I didn't think it was real," she said. "It was very strange and distressing."

The case continues.