'I WAS TRYING TO PROTECT MY LIFE'

Murder accused, 15, tells court he pulled out knife to scare Alfie, not kill him

- LUCY THORNTON

THE boy accused of murdering Alfie Lewis told a court: "I was just trying to protect my own life."

Alfie, 15, was killed in front of other schoolchildren and their parents last November 7.

A jury heard he was stabbed twice with a 13cm kitchen knife, which pierced his heart.

The accused, 14 at the time, denies the murder in Leeds, saying he was scared of Alfie.

The boy said yesterday: "I saw Alfie walking towards me... that's when I froze.

"I pulled out the knife from my waistband and I turned to face Alfie. I took the knife out to scare him away.

"I thought he was going to attack me. He said: 'What you going to do with that?""

The boy said Alfie seemed surprised and "almost as if he was about laugh" to He added: "He then put his right hand down in his trousers and with his left hand he tried to grab my jacket.