A teenage boy suffered horrific injuries when he was attacked by two women during a late night party, a court heard.

The 13-year-old boy was found to have 23 stab wounds after being taken to hospital barely alive.

Lewes Crown Court heard the two women, a lesbian couple, had carried the boy from a seafront flat at Littlehampton after he had been sick.

Richard Anelay QC, prosecuting, alleged they subjected the youngster to an attack which he described as "savage and brutal".

Gemma McGarvie, 18, of South Terrace, Littlehampton, and Lorraine Large, 22, of Foxes Croft, Barnham, both deny the attempted murder of the boy and maliciously wounding him with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Mr Anelay told the jury the party took place on December 14 last year at a flat in South Terrace, Littlehampton, rented by McGarvie.

The court heard a mobile phone call at 3am to the ambulance service on December 15 led to the boy being found lying in a pool of blood on an area of green between the flats and the sea.

Mr Anelay told the jury the boy, who was 13 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, had gone to a party at the flat with a teenage girl.

He said the two defendants and two men were also there and the boy became sick after drinking strong cider.

He alleged the two women were seen to hit the boy over the head.

Later, when the teenage girl was asleep, he said the defendants were seen to carry the boy from the flat. When they returned it was noticed they had blood on their hands.

He said the women washed and changed their clothing and left the flat, again returning with blood on their hands and clothing.

Mr Anelay said: "It is not clear how many times the women left the flats and returned. It was certainly two and probably three."

He said when the teenage girl woke up, she was told the boy had gone off with two other boys who had come for him.

But he alleged that Large then told the girl: "I stabbed him and I couldn't stop stabbing him."

Mr Anelay said one of the men at the party was taken out of the flat by McGarvie who said she had something to show him.

He saw the boy lying on the ground and Mr Anelay alleged McGarvie told him: "I stabbed him in the side and we slit his throat."

He told the jury that among the boy's injuries was a wound to his neck as well as multiple wounds to his arms, torso and legs.

He said the boy had survived although he would be scarred.

The trial continues.