A woman has denied there was a fight between her ex-boyfriend and her new lover moments before the latter was fatally stabbed.

Alicia Parrin, 21, told a jury she did not hand a knife to Harrison Tomkins after her ex Kaydon Prior, of Hazelwick Avenue, Crawley, burst in on them while they slept.

Prior, 23 and Jason Curtis, 22, deny murdering Mr Tomkins, 25, in the bedroom of Miss Parrin’s flat in Crawley on August 13 last year.

Facing questioning from Charlotte Newell KC, defending, Miss Parrin rejected her suggestion there was a fight between Mr Tomkins and Prior.

She told a jury in Chichester she was in bed with Mr Tomkins and the pair were asleep when Prior and his friend Curtis burst in.

Mr Tomkins, who was a lifeguard, was stabbed ten times with the 16cm hunting knife.

“I suggest to you Harrison got straight out of bed and went over to Kaydon,” Ms Newell said.

“When Kaydon walks in he’s a total stranger and unexpected.

“They met in the middle.

“They were pushing each other and Harrison punched Kaydon.”

“No,” Miss Parrin said.

Read more: Neighbour heard screams as man was stabbed to death, murder trial hears

“I suggest there was a confrontation that moved between the bed and the window,” said Ms Newell.

“There was a confrontation at that point in the room, both of them on their feet, punching each other or certainly trying to.”

“No,” Miss Parrin said.

“Harrison works out and he can box and he punched Kaydon and he landed on the bed,” Ms Newell said.

“No,” Miss Parrin replied.

Ms Newell asked her: “You told police you did not see the knife until right at the end and it was on the floor, near the door.

“Did you pass Harrison that knife?”

“No,” Miss Parrin said.

The court heard that  when emergency services arrived Miss Parrin said to police she thought Mr Tomkin’s death was her fault.

“What did you mean by ‘It’s all my fault’,” Ms Newell asked.

“Because if Harrison wasn’t with me, he wouldn’t be dead,” Miss Parrin said.

“The sad truth is it’s Harrison who attacked Kaydon and those are the sad circumstances in which that young man lost his life,” Ms Newell said.

“No, that’s not true,” Miss Parrin replied.

The trial at the crown court, sitting in Chichester, continues.