A CHESTER man charged with trying to murder his long-time friend by stabbing him in the back with a kitchen knife is on trial at Chester Crown Court.

Paul Andrews, 62, stands accused of stabbing 58-year-old Russell Feeney, his friend of more than 40 years, by plunging an eight-inch kitchen knife into his back, at Andrews's home address in Alder Grove, Hoole, on October 3, 2019.

Andrews then drove straight to Blacon Police Station and told police he wanted to hand himself in, as he was responsible for a stabbing in Hoole.

Andrews later gave a no comment police interview and subsequently pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted murder, and has also denied the alternative, lesser charge of wounding with intent.

The defendant claimed the stabbing happened when one or more intruders at his house arrived in response to Mr Feeney 'taxing' or 'robbing' local drug dealers, a claim the prosecution says is a lie.

Prosecuting, Mark Connor said the stabbing happened at about 3pm on October 3.

Mr Feeney had suffered a brain haemorrhage in 1994 which had left him with limited mental capacity and short-term memory problems.

The court heard Andrews, known to the Feeney family as 'Andy the bull', had been "like a brother" to Mr Feeney, particularly after the brain haemorrhage.

Mr Connor said on the day of the stabbing, Andrews had driven Mr Feeney to his house and made him a cup of tea, which Mr Feeney later remarked tasted very strange.

As Mr Feeney got up, he felt as though he had been "punched", then thought he had been stabbed with a screwdriver, the court heard.

Mr Connor said Andrews dashed out of the house with Mr Feeney following, saying: "Why did you do this to me? I loved you like a brother."

Neighbours went outside their homes to see Mr Feeney in pain with the knife stuck in his back. Mr Feeney had dialled 999 and passed the phone to an onlooker.

An air ambulance took Mr Feeney to Aintree Hospital, where surgeons removed the knife and dealt with his injuries – a cut and fractured rib and a punctured lung.

Evidence from an experienced pathologist said Mr Feeney was very fortunate the knife had not pierced his heart, and the knife had gone into the left side of the upper back with a "severe degree of force".

While in hospital, Mr Feeney told his partner of 42 years Belinda Feeney – known as Suki – he didn't want to tell her who had stabbed him as he didn't want them to be in trouble, saying they needed help.

He later told her Andrews had stabbed him, and wanted to visit him in jail, to ask him why he had done it.

Mr Feeney subsequently told investigating officer Detective Constable Roger Smith 'the bull' had stabbed him, but at a police video evidence-gathering session two weeks later, he refused to give a name, becoming emotional and distressed.

Forensic evidence of the tea Mr Feeney had taken showed it was not toxic.

Giving evidence, Andrews said he had been downstairs at his home, shutting a window, when Mr Feeney – who had gone upstairs – had sounded like he had fallen, and was shouting a name Andrews had believed to be 'a local thug'.

Questioned by defending barrister Brian Treadwell why he had driven straight to the police station to hand himself in, Andrews said he was "frightened" and "bewildered".

He said he believed a drugs robbery had happened at his house and wanted to be put in custody for his own safety.

"I just wanted to be banged up and locked away, to be left alone," he told the court.

Asked why he had given a no comment interview to the police, Andrews said his trust in them was "virtually non-existent", having been "badly treated" a few years ago when he was arrested but not charged on a separate matter.

Andrews added he would give cannabis to Mr Feeney for him to sell on, with the proceeds to be split 50-50, and they would also smoke cannabis together at the house.

Police found 14 cannabis plants at Andrews's address, which a police drugs expert said if grown to full maturity would be excessive for personal drug use.

However, there was no evidence of a commercial operation, with a lack of drug paraphernalia such as wraps, spare cash or crop rotation, while there were no messages found on either Andrews's or Mr Feeney's mobile phones in relation to drug dealing.

The phone usage for the man accused of being the 'local thug' was analysed by police and was found to be operational in the Blacon area, not Hoole, at the time of the stabbing.

Andrews also told the jury, during questioning, he had not been in trouble with the police before, with this information based on the prosecution showing no record of previous convictions or cautions.

However, after Andrews's criminal record was double-checked over the lunch break on Wednesday, it emerged Andrews had a record for a number of previous convictions from 1974-1980 and one from 1994, for a variety of offences including burglary and threatening behaviour.

When Mr Treadwell asked him why he had not disclosed this, Andrews said the convictions were spent and did not believe they applied any more.

The jury also heard Andrews had pleaded guilty in this case to possession of a bladed article, as a result of him having a lock-knife on him when he arrived at Blacon Police Station.

The trial continues. The jury in the trial is expected to retire to deliberate its verdict on Thursday.