'It was me or him': Note left next to man knifed to death by friend

A bloodstained knife and note saying 'it was me or him' was discovered next to the body of a man who was stabbed to death by his friend, a court heard today. 

Joe Holland, 25, was found in a 'pool of blood' inside a locked bathroom after being stabbed to death by his friend James Preston, 21. 

The pals were earlier seen in a group at a Chinese restaurant snorting ketamine off a table before heading to a pub where they carried on taking drugs and drinking alcohol. 

But the 'mood changed' within 13 minutes when they returned to Preston's parents' house in Liverpool, a jury heard today. 

Police officers made the grim discovery later that day with a note written in blue highlighter next to Mr Holland's body saying 'It was me or him', and a bloodstained knife with a bent blade.

Preston accepts inflicting the knife wounds which killed Mr Holland on June 8, but denies murder and manslaughter, arguing he was acting in self-defence when he stabbed his friend in the chest, penetrating his lung and heart.  

Today a former friend of Preston and Mr Holland, Sean Ruud, was questioned about an arson attack on Preston's parents' home after the stabbing.

The jury heard Mr Ruud had been at Preston's family home with the other two men drinking and inhaling balloons of nitrous oxide, but left before Mr Holland was stabbed, which he told the court was because Preston punched him in the back of the head 'with no warning'.

Under cross-examination, Nick Johnson KC, defending, suggested that there had been a 'scuffle' with the defendant because Mr Ruud had been playing loud music and 'making a mess'.

He said: 'That was the reason from the problem between you and Mr Preston wasn't it?'. 

Mr Ruud replied: 'I don't recall It might have been. I was the one who got hit so I don't know the reason.'

Mr Johnson said: 'When Mr Preston challenged you for making too much noise and making a mess, you got into his face didn't you?'. Mr Ruud said he could not recall doing so.

Mr Johnson: 'Is that the sort of thing you would do?' Mr Ruud said: 'No I'm not an aggressive person.'

Mr Ruud was shown a picture of the inside of the property, showing a view from the living room into the kitchen. He also confirmed he had visited the house on a number of occasions before Mr Preston had been stabbed to death.

Mr Johnson said: 'It doesn't look like that now does it, what's the difference?'. Mr Ruud said: 'It's boarded up.'

When asked why, he said he wasn't sure but 'I heard rumours it was on fire.' Mr Johnson said: 'Someone torched it didn't they?'

Mr Johnson asked Mr Ruud if he knew who had torched the home to which Mr Ruud replied: 'No idea.' 

Earlier, under questioning from lead counsel for the prosecution, Mark Ford KC, Mr Ruud confirmed he had arranged a meal at Jumbo Chinese Restaurant on Princess Drive, Dovecot, on the night of June 7. 

A group of men including Preston, Mr Holland, Mr Ruud, Preston's half-brother Darren Mulholland and others turned up and were recorded on CCTV drinking and snorting ketamine at the dinner table.

After the meal the night continued in the Deysbrook Pub on Deysbrook Lane, West Derby, where the group carried on drinking and taking ketamine. 

Preston, Mr Holland and Mr Ruud then took a taxi back to Preston's parents' home, who were on holiday in Egypt at the time.

He said within 13 minutes of his arrival, the mood changed and he was attacked by Preston. He said: 'I opened a beer, maybe had a couple of swigs of beer. Couple of balloons, then I got hit in the back of the head.'

Mr Ford asked whether the blow hurt, and Mr Ruud replied: 'It didn't put me on the floor like. I can just remember being backed into the corner as he tried to kick me. Joe was saying "what have you done? What have you done?", James is calling me a rat, I am saying "what are you on about?".'

Mr Ruud said that Preston stopped attacking him when Mr Holland intervened, and he realised he had a cut to his face.

He said: 'He stopped and then they carried on having more balloons. I said why have you done that, and I got no answer so I just left. I walked out then.'

Mr Ruud said he could not recall any reason for the attack. However under cross-examination, Mr Johnson suggested Preston had 'challenged' him because he was playing music too loud, which he worried would wake his elderly neighbour.

Mr Ruud said he could not recall.

After leaving the house he told the jury he walked home, and did not speak about the incident to anyone else until the following day. 

Mr Ruud was later arrested on suspicion of Mr Holland's murder, but was released without charge.

The trial, at Liverpool Crown Court, continues.