A TEENAGER broke down in tears today as he told a court how his friend Rob Knox grappled with a knife-wielding "madman".

Tom Hopkins, aged 19, told the Old Bailey today (Feb 12) how Mr Knox was stabbed on May 24 outside the Metro Bar, Station Road, Sidcup.

On that night Mr Hopkins heard friend Charley Grimley receive a call from Mr Knox's younger brother and then warning people: "He's coming down, he's coming down."

He then looked out the bar windows and saw "a confrontation" happening outside.

Mr Hopkins said people were banging on the windows, trying to get in and he could "sense the feeling of danger."

Going outside, the witness said he saw Karl Bishop, aged 21, standing with a knife.

He said: "He just looked like a madman."

Mr Hopkins then remembers seeing Mr Grimley clashing with the knife man before backing away.

He said their friend Tarik Ozresberoglu had hold of Rob Knox, who broke free and started grappling with Bishop.

In court, Mr Hopkins started crying, holding his hands to his face, as he described the scene.

He said: "As Rob was grappling with him, the boy had a knife in his right hand. He was stabbing Rob repeatedly."

Mr Hopkins said he ran across to intervene.

He said: "I wanted to protect the other people that were there."

Mr Hopkins and Mr Ozresberoglu got Bishop in the flowerbeds and tried to take the knife off him.

It was then he felt a blow to his head and felt blood pouring from it.

The defence denied this wound was from a knife and claim it came from a thrown bottle.

Mr Hopkins was taken to Queen Mary's Hospital where superficial injuries to his his head were glued.

After receiving five stab wounds, Mr Knox died.

Mr Hopkins had earlier told the court how he had seen a previous argument outside the club during which, the defence says, Bishop was beaten up by Mr Knox and others.

Ian Bourne for the defence also showed the court pictures which he claimed showed Mr Hopkins chasing a friend of Bishop's through Sidcup station just after that clash.

Later, Mr Hopkins said he saw the Audi car Bishop had escaped into after that incident driving slowly past the Metro Bar twice.

He said: "What struck me was the pace that it was driving. It was as if it was trying to see - looking through the windows to see what was happening."

Mr Bourne suggested that during the final attack Mr Knox came towards Bishop with a bottle in his hands and that his client was acting in self defence, having put his knives away before he was attacked.

Bishop, of Beaver Lodge, Carlton Road, Sidcup, has pleaded not guilty to murder and five counts of wounding with intent to cause grevious bodily harm.

The trial continues.