A ROADSIDE chef fatally stabbed a 21-year-old man with a five-inch blade as he tried to diffuse an incident outside an Addingham pub, a Court was told this week.

Barbados-born Leroy Mckenzie Griffith, 37, of Ridley's Fold, Addingham, is on trial for murder and assault at Leeds Crown Court.

Griffith, who is best-known in the village for running his Caribbean Cookshop van in an A65 lay-by, is accused of stabbing plumber Mark Webster outside The Fleece, Main Street, in the early hours of April 1.

Griffith pleads not guilty to murder, and to charges of causing actual bodily harm to two other men.

Prosecuting, Julian Goose QC told the court the stabbing occurred as onlookers intervened after a disagreement between Griffith and an Addingham woman.

A witness, Holly Utley, told the court how she had asked Griffith to put down the knife, to which he replied: "I love you Holly, but don't push me."

Former Ilkley Grammar School pupil Mr Webster, who was brought up in Addingham, suffered a four-inch deep wound, which severed one of the main arteries to his heart, and died "within one or two minutes".

Mr Goose said the seeds of the tragic events of April 1 were sown back in December last year, when Griffith was involved in a car crash, which injured friend and teenage passenger Michelle Hudson.

Miss Hudson's friend, Rebecca Holmes, blamed Griffith for the accident, and the two were "not on the best of terms".

A disagreement broke out after a 70s-theme karaoke night at The Fleece on Easter Sunday, March 31, said Mr Goose.

Miss Holmes told the court Griffith deliberately reversed his Suzuki Vitara into her in The Fleece car park, and after she swung her handbag at him, he stepped out of the car with his fist raised.

She fled the scene, but said despite being ushered back into his car, Griffith then came after her with a knife and a bottle.

Someone took the ignition keys from Griffith's car during the incident.

Several revellers told Griffith to calm down and "chill out", Miss Hudson told the court, and he was heard telling onlookers to leave him alone.

The court heard that when Mr Webster reached out to touch the defendant's shoulder, Griffith gave a single sharp thrust of the knife into the plumber's chest. "Mark Webster had no argument with the defendant. He was one of several people trying to calm the defendant down," said Mr Goose.

Griffith was pinned down, and the landlord's son, Craig Minto, bent the blade of the knife, rendering it harmless. It was later found discarded under a car.

A number of the pubgoers tried in vain to save Mr Webster's life.

Representing Griffith, Graham Hyland QC questioned the witnesses' account of events, asking if they had seen Griffith being "dragged or pulled" from his car by a group of eight to 10 men.

Mr Hyland accused Miss Holmes of telling Griffith to "go back to your own country" in an earlier encounter, and being abusive to Griffith's wife, Sue.

He said Miss Holmes had not been hit by the car, but had been standing behind, refusing to move. Mr Hyland claimed Miss Holmes disapproved of the friendship between Miss Hudson and Griffith, believing it to be "more than platonic".

Miss Holmes denied this and said she was not a racist. She was in tears in court as she told how she saw Mr Webster with blood on his chest collapse by her car.

The trial continues.